


Hope Springs Eternal

by Corantien



Series: As God Is My Witness [2]
Category: The Exorcist (TV)
Genre: Amnesia, Angst, Attempt at Humor, Author Is Sleep Deprived, Because of Reasons, Character Death, Confusion, Domestic Fluff, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Español | Spanish, Everything Hurts, Exorcisms, Fake Marriage, Fluff and Smut, Heavy Angst, Hospitalization, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, Jealousy, Language Kink, M/M, Miscommunication, Nightmares, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Past Child Abuse, Past Rape/Non-con, Possession, Pretending, Second Chances, Secret Identity, Self-Esteem Issues, Self-Hatred, Shame, Slow Build, Slow Romance, The Author Is Pure Evil, The Author Regrets Nothing, Trust Issues, Undercover, Unrequited Love, growing closer, solving cases
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-06
Updated: 2017-11-16
Packaged: 2019-01-30 11:22:01
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 10
Words: 24,058
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12652569
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Corantien/pseuds/Corantien
Summary: Part Two of the 'As God Is My Witness' series.Tomas and Marcus try to deal with Tomas' amnesia while on the road. They get to know each other slowly again. In the meantime, the duo keeps searching for clues to stop the plot against Faith.





	1. Let There Be Light

**Author's Note:**

> Hope Springs Eternal:  
> I. Said when you continue to hope that something will happen, although it seems unlikely.
> 
> Let There Be Light:  
> And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness. God called the light “day,” and the darkness he called “night.” And there was evening, and there was morning—the first day. (Genesis)

Marcus was glad to have found an abandoned apartment near to the motel Mouse and Bennett were staying. He longed for a minute all by himself. No commanding Bennett. No noisy woman to poke her nose into his affairs.

 

It had been two weeks since he left Tomas in the care of Andy's family. They kept him regularly updated, even though he couldn't bear to read those messages more than once. Still no change in his friend.

 

They had confronted the demon in Chicago - sure that it was behind the plot to assassinate the Pope - it had fled and left its human body for dead. Marcus couldn't say if he was sorry about that. People going crazy and voluntarily letting them be possessed and used by demons were just... Vile. He shuddered.

 

If he was honest - he knew it would take ages to find that particular demon again. So after a long conversation last night, they decided to split up again. Marcus would take the small, single cases for his account and Bennett and _that_ woman would keep tracking the demon. If they caught its trail, they would contact Marcus. That's why he left the first opportunity he got.

 

She had been looking through his drawings. Digging in his bags of clothes. Stealing his pack of smokes. He didn't trust her. Not one single bit.

 

And then came the questions.

 

"Who's this? You keep drawing him."

 

Bennett would just ignore Marcus' and Mouse's strange quirks. But Marcus simply hated her pulling out his drawings of Tomas whenever they had a free moment.

 

His nightmares weren't filled anymore with the abuse he had suffered as a boy. Nor did he see a repeat of the boy killed by the twisting of his neck. He could only see Tomas. His eyes dead.

 

He missed him. He had been alone for so long and then he tried to keep the younger man out for months. Until Vancouver... Now Tomas was all he could think, eat, dream or breathe.

 

This night the dark dream took him next to the bed Tomas' was sleeping in. He was still comatose. This was one of the bittersweet ones. Where he tried to touch Tomas, but his hands just went through. He didn't even bother anymore.

 

Head bowed he started his vigil on the side of the bed. Praying for an end to all of this. In the corner of his eye, he saw a movement. Marcus looked up. Surprised. Was that...?

 

He blinked several times. No. Just wishful thinking. There! It happened again! Tomas' thumb was twitching.

 

"Tomas?" Marcus tried. He dared not to hope even though it was already too late. Slowly he reached out to touch his friend's hand. This time he did not go through.

 

Was Tomas here for real? Were they communicating?

 

"Tomas, can you hear me?" Marcus bent over the sleeping man. Their faces close. Hands clasped. "Come back to me."

 

The complete hand twitched now. Violently.

 

"Fight, Tomas," Marcus whispered against his lips before kissing them softly.

 

Tomas' eyes snapped open. Marcus screamed.

 

He was back in his room. His mobile was screeching at him from the paper it was lying on. Marcus turned over on his cardboard mattress and blearily opened the phone.

 

**Andy:**

**TOMAS IS AWAKE**

 

* * *

 

"Where is he?" Marcus demanded. He had just gotten off the boat and stormed up to Andy's car waiting for him by the pier.

 

"He's resting at home. Marcus... He's disoriented. And weak. He needs time. I urge you to slow down."

 

"Don't tell me what to do, Andy. Bring me to him."

 

* * *

 

"Marcus." Rose greeted him in the hallway. She took his coat. He ignored her in favour for looking for his friend. "I think that maybe you should take a moment befo..."

 

The ex-priest ran upstairs. Taking the flight of stairs two, three at a time.

 

Verity pointed at the bedroom they had shared over a month ago. "He's still in there. He's resting."

 

Heart beating in his throat, Marcus knocked.

 

"Come in." A hoarse voice replied. _That_ voice. _His_ voice.

 

They stared at one another. Marcus wanted to cry. He slowly drank in the sight of the man he fell in love with.

 

"Tomas." He sighed.

 

"Marcus."

 

He had never thought to hear his name spoken by those lips again. Before he knew what he was doing, he was crossing the room and sat down by Tomas' side. His hand gripping the younger man's tightly. Fearing to let go.

 

"How are you feeling?" Marcus asked lowly. His eyes still not leaving that beautiful face. He knew that Tomas must start to feel uncomfortable by now. And he was right. Tomas averted his eyes and looked at their hands.

 

"Marcus... Is Casey okay?"

 

His world was destroyed.

 

"Wha... What do you mean?"

 

"Did we find her after she fled the ambulance?"

 

"Did we... _What_?"

 

"Have the flyers helped?"

 

"Flyers, I... Tomas?"

 

"We believe he may have lost some of his memories. We told him he hit his head during an exorcism. That's all we said. Then he started asking after you. Knowing you could tell him more." Andy spoke gently from the doorway.

 

Marcus lifted himself up on his feet. His hand suddenly empty and useless by his side. He felt aged by a century. Without another word - ignoring all the others calling after him - he stepped outside the room. He kept walking. Kept walking. Until his feet reached the edge of the lake.

 

There he dropped on his knees to look at his reflection in the water. His face was lined with sorrow and he wanted to howl. He needed some way to let out the rage and pain threatening to destroy him from the inside out.

 

Tomas didn't remember him. He didn't remember anything from the last seven months. He didn't remember _them_.

 

He didn't love him. He didn't remember ever loving him.

 

 

 


	2. Better The Devil You Know

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I. Said when you think it is wiser to deal with someone or something familiar, although you do not like him, her, or it, than to deal with someone or something you do not know that might be worse.

Tomas felt life slowly breathe itself into him. He opened his eyes and stared at a strange ceiling. His whole body was hurting. With a groan, he turned his head to look at the source of the noise that had woke him up. There was a young girl. She seemed to be reading something. He couldn't understand her words nor could he make head or tail of the letters on the book. Harshly he pressed his eyes closed and opened them again.

 

" _Gnn_." Was the first sound he could make. The girl's eyes snapped up from the book to his face. Her mouth was rapidly moving. She ran to the door - after touching his cheek - and shouted something. Her face was red. She seemed happy.

 

An Asian man ran inside, closely followed by a young woman with cropped hair and dark eyes. The man came forward and excitedly started talking to Tomas.

Tomas could only garble something unintelligible before succumbing again.

 

* * *

 

"Tomas?"

 

"Dios mio." The priest groaned. He felt like he had slept an eternity away. His limbs didn't feel like his own.

 

"Tomas, you're safe. You're with me, Andy. Rose and the children are here too. We're all safe."

 

"Murcss?" Tomas mumbled. His eyes felt so heavy.

 

"Marcus is safe too. He's hurrying back to see you."

 

"Casee?"

 

"What do you mean?"

 

"Caasiee? Whu hapned Ceesey?"

 

"I think he's asking for Casey." A girl whispered.

 

Tomas tried to nod. Why was everything so dark. His chest was hurting.

 

* * *

 

The next time he opened his eyes a dark-skinned boy was sitting in the chair next to his bed. He was reading a book. This one Tomas could recognise.

 

"Where you at?" He grunted.

 

Shelby's eyes searched out his face and he pressed a button before turning back to Tomas.

 

"Jesus healed the blind man."

 

"As long as it is day, we must do the works of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work. While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” Tomas spoke the words from memory. Everything was clearing up now. "What has happened?"

 

The man, who had called himself Andy, came in and took a seat next to Shelby.

 

"What is the last thing you remember?"

 

"Casey escaped. We need to find her. I was making copies of her picture." Tomas tried to remember but a sharp pain in his head had him gasping.

 

"Don't exert yourself. It'll all come back." Andy calmly said. "You did an exorcism. Together with Marcus. You saved us, this family, this house. We're eternally grateful to the both of you. You hurt yourself."

 

"Marcus?"

 

"You didn't wake up and he had to continue God's work. We kept him updated on your condition."

 

"He left me?" Tomas didn't know the man, but it hurt nonetheless.

 

"He was desperately needed somewhere else. He's coming back for you, though. Don't be angry at him for leaving."

 

"He waited for two weeks. He didn't sleep. He didn't eat. He just took care of you." The young girl who had read to him spoke up.

 

"How..." None of it made sense. Tomas looked around. It was the first time he noticed the IV dripping into his arm.

 

"We needed to get nutrients and fluids inside your body. Marcus didn't want to alert the authorities and Rose is a certified child nurse before she went into social work. Marcus supplied us with the necessities so we could take care of you."

 

It was all too much to take in.

 

"When will he be here?"

 

"Last time he called, he was still four hours out and then he still has to find a boat. He'll be here late this afternoon, I think. Rest until then. You're in good hands."

 

"Gracias." Tomas sighed before closing his eyes again. Rest sounded good to him. Marcus would explain the rest.

 

* * *

 

He had heard the car pull up in the driveway. Urgent voices spoke downstairs and then he heard someone run up the stairs. A knock shortly followed.

 

"Come in." Tomas hoarsely replied. There he stood. Marcus. His eyes crazed and heart pounding. He couldn't seem to look away from the priest.

 

"Tomas." He sighed.

 

"Marcus."

 

Before Tomas knew what was happening, the ex-priest sat by his side. Intimately touching his hand tightly without even blinking.

 

"How are you feeling?" Marcus asked lowly.

 

Tomas awkwardly lowered his eyes. He didn't know what had happened in the time they had known each other, but he still felt uncomfortable being stared at in such a way. His eyes dropped down to their entwined fingers.

 

"Marcus... Is Casey okay?"

 

Judging Marcus' reaction, Tomas knew he had done something wrong. Something _terribly_ wrong.

 

"Wha... What do you mean?"

 

"Did we find her after she fled the ambulance?"

 

"Did we... _What_?"

 

"Have the flyers helped?"

 

"Flyers, I... Tomas?"

 

"We believe he may have lost some of his memories. We told him he hit his head during an exorcism. That's all we said. Then he started asking after you. Knowing you could tell him more." Andy explained to Marcus. His eyes looked so sad.

 

"Marcus?" Tomas tried. But the older man was already removing himself from his presence. He fled like the devil was on his tail. "Marcus?!"

 

"Give him some time," Andy said. He seemed angry. But not at Tomas.

 

"What has happened?" the priest despaired.

 

"All will be well. Rest. I'll go talk to him."

 

Tomas was left alone again.

 

* * *

 

Rose told him she had tried to keep his muscles supple by doing PT while he was comatose, he still had to take it slow and could only eat light, easily digestible food. Tomas barely listened. His head was still hurting. His hand rested on his chest. Another thing that didn't seem to stop hurting him.

 

The first time they helped him stand - a month being bed-ridden - he didn't recognize himself in the mirror. His beard was long. His hair unkempt and there were lines in his face that weren't there before. What had happened in the six months he seemed to be missing? Seven if you counted the time unconscious.

 

He had yet to see Marcus again.

 

A day later had him carefully manoeuvring around the kitchen with a walking-stick clamped tightly in his hand. He was looking for something to drink - and no he didn't need any help, Verity. He could do it himself. When he looked up from his shaking hand pouring out some apple juice, Marcus was staring at him from the doorway. His eyes seemed bottomless. Tomas seemed at a loss for words.

 

Marcus blinked, turned and left. Verity sadly looked down at her hands after watching the interaction between the two of them.

 

Why did Tomas feel as if he kept failing some sort of test?

 

* * *

 

"I'm sorry I'm keeping you here. You can leave if you want to." Tomas spoke when he came up behind Marcus. HIs voice seemed to startle the man who had been lost in thoughts. Marcus didn't look at him. Didn't speak.

 

"Or... I could go with you once I'm fully restored to my full strength. I still want to be an exorcist and I believe I have already asked you to teach me. That's why we've been together these past months. No?"

 

"True," Marcus grunted finally.

 

"Am I any good at it?"

 

"You're passable. Still a novice, though."

 

"But I'm making progress?"

 

"Yes."

 

"Good." Tomas grinned. "I hate to be useless to you."

 

Marcus turned devastated eyes to the younger man. He seemed like he wanted to say something but closed his mouth again. Chagrined he stared back out into the distance.

 

"Marcus..." The priest carefully touched the man's elbow. "I wish you would fill me in on all that has happened. Could you do that for me? Please? It might help me to remember. I need to fill in the gaps, por favor?"

 

"Fine."

 

* * *

 

Tomas knew that Marcus wasn't a talker. He didn't seem the type. Nevertheless, his mouth kept moving and with every sentence, Tomas just knew that he wasn't telling everything. The words only told him the stories of their exorcisms. Nothing about their personal time spent together. When Marcus' voice turned hoarse, he concluded the story of their time spent with Andy and his family.

 

"So... We seem to be friends?" The younger man tried to lighten the mood.

 

"If you say so."

 

Tomas gasped in fake horror. "You mean I didn't tell you about José and Maria? I need to catch up on seven months of television!"

 

"Spoiler alert: They broke up and she's pregnant."

 

The priest covered his mouth to silence his laughter. "So you watched it with me?"

 

"It couldn't be avoided. You're obsessed."

 

"There are worse addictions."

 

"That there are." Marcus' eyes flicked to Tomas' face before looking back at the tip of his feet. He knew he was sadly smiling. The other man didn't seem to be bothered anyway.

 

He could live with this. Them being friends again. Just friends.

 

* * *

 

"You don't seem to like talking about yourself. You don't seem to like talking at all." Tomas remarked one day when they were talking a walk to help him regain his strength.

 

"Not if I can avoid it."

 

"So I gather I am the social one?"

 

"You never shut up. And you ask a lot of questions."

 

The priest grinned while jumping over a small creek. Looking back to see Marcus follow him. The man jumped but slipped. Tomas' hand shot out and pulled Marcus upright by the edge of his coat. Their faces suddenly close. Marcus' breath stuttered before he pulled away.

 

"Thanks." He gruffly said before walking on. Leaving Tomas blinking for a moment.

 

* * *

 

Marcus pretended to laugh when Tomas had just told a joke. A joke he had already heard four months ago. It still was funny in some kind of way and the way Tomas seemed to enjoy bringing a smile to his face made him feel all warm inside.

 

"Could you tell me how we spent a normal day together?" The brunet asked after wiping away the tears of laughter in the corner of his eyes.

 

Marcus contemplated how to best answer that question.

 

"You would wake up - most of the time before me - and go out on a run. By the time you got back I would be half-awake. You would start your morning routine while I'm in the shower and then we swapped places."

 

"Who made breakfast?"

 

"You did. You forbade me. Something about ramen noodles not being saturating enough."

 

"I wish I could remember. Seems like I took great care of you."

 

"You still do."

 

"Not now. I seem to be dependent on all of you."

 

"You'll be back up to speed in no time." Marcus tried to console his sombre friend.

 

"I just hoped it would go faster."

 

"You just need time."

 

* * *

 

"What are you doing here?"

 

Marcus jumped up from his light slumber on the sofa. Seems like Tomas was awake to get something to drink.

 

"Sleeping. What does it seem like I'm doing." He grumbled before laying back down on the soft pillows.

 

Tomas pulled back his covers. Leaving the older man to shiver. "What the Hell are you doing?" He snarled.

 

"You can't sleep here."

 

"There aren't any beds available."

 

"I have a double. Why haven't you told me earlier? I can't believe I let you sleep on the couch all the time."

 

"No. No way in Hell am I going to sleep next to you." Marcus tried taking back his blankets.

 

"Take it or leave it, Marcus."

 

"Then leave it."

 

Tomas left with the blankets still in his hands.

 

Five minutes of trembling from the cold - winter was setting in - had Marcus angrily stomping up the stairs and pushing his way into Tomas' bedroom.

 

Tomas was smugly waiting in the bed.

 

With a hard yank, Marcus uncovered the other side of the bed, got in and pulled the blankets up to his chin. The priest shut off the light.

 

"Good night, Marcus."

 

"Fuck off."

 

It was the best sleep he'd had in weeks.

 

* * *

 

The first thing Marcus saw when his eyes snapped open was tanned skin moving gracefully in front of him. Tomas was doing push-ups. Careful not to tire out his body too quickly, he slowly pushed up and down while counting in Spanish.

 

Shite.

 

"Ola," Tomas grunted - while holding his plank position for several seconds - when he noticed Marcus was awake.

 

The older man couldn't speak. He had lost his tongue somewhere in the sandpit that was his mouth. This was not good. This was really not good.

 

"Shower's free." Tomas huffed while going down and up again.

 

Oh no. That would be even worse. Getting up now would surely give Tomas' a sight he wasn't ready to see.

 

"Marcus?"

 

He understood that his silence could be mistaken for something bad, so instead, he grunted and pulled the covers back over his head. Let Tomas believe he wanted to have a lie-in.

 

"Get up, Marcus. Andy's making pancakes." Tomas pulled his shirt over his head. This just got worse.

 

"No."

 

Without a warning, the blankets got ripped away exposing Marcus'... Condition fully. Tomas was starting to grow a new annoying habit of stealing covers.

 

"Bloody Hell, Tomas! I said no!" Marcus roared with shame high on his cheeks. Quickly trying to scramble for cover. He knew it was too late. The priest's mouth seemed to be flopping uselessly open and closed.

 

"It's... It's perfectly natural." He eventually got out.

 

The slamming bathroom door was all he got in reply.

 

* * *

 

Marcus couldn't meet Tomas' apologetic eyes over the breakfast table. The cold shower had woken his body up in an instant and he made sure to get out quickly so Tomas wouldn't think he had... Done _that_ in the bathroom. He also knew he was back to eating like they were about to steal his food. This time Tomas' didn't look away to give him his privacy. The ex-priest didn't care. Nothing would ever be the same.

 

He was a coward.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


	3. The Devil's In The Details

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I. Used for saying that something may seem simple, but in fact the details are complicated and likely to cause problems.

"We can still turn back," Marcus said. He focused on the road in front of him. Hands spread casually on the steering wheel.

 

"Hmm." Tomas nodded. The side of his head leaned against the window to watch the trees pass by.

 

"I know you'll miss them."

 

Tomas knew he would miss the family they had just left behind in Vancouver. Even if he didn't remember all that had happened, he just felt like they were all closely connected, like they were almost a real family together. They treated him with such kindness. Their smiles sad when they helped him get to know them again. Three weeks recovering was enough. The priest could bear it no more. It was time to leave. His memories wouldn't return and it wasn't fair to hold them to the things he had promised if he didn't even remember said things.

 

"It's what we do. Is it not?"

 

"We don't have a lot of connections." Marcus agreed.

 

"At least I've got you."

 

"And I you."

 

Tomas turned on the radio to break the solemnity of the situation.

 

"So where we headed? I never actually asked after father Bennett called you."

 

"One of his connections spoke of a case In Hamilton. Montana. He wants us to check it out."

 

"Okay. I've always wanted to see the Rockies."

 

* * *

 

"Nooo!" Tomas screamed out in agonised fear.

 

"Tomas! You're just dreaming!" Marcus had switched on the cheap night lamp on the bedside table between their cots.

 

"I... I saw someone hit me with a hammer. I think I heard Harper scream."

 

Tomas' shirt was soaked through, he swung his legs over the side of his lumpy bed and burrowed his face in his trembling hands.

 

"You... You remember something else?"

 

"No... Just the hammer hitting me and Harper screaming. Is it always like this, Marcus?"

 

"The memory must've been triggered by what happened in Montana. I'll get you some water." The ex-priest saw Tomas rubbing his sleep with the tips of his fingers. "And aspirin. God knows you need it."

 

The younger man gratefully accepted the tall glass of water and the aspirin.

 

"We're almost out of food."

 

"I'll go shopping tomorrow."

 

"Bring me some dark chocolate."

 

Tomas rolled his eyes and lay back down. He hoped he could find some more sleep. He was still - evidently - shook up about the father abusing his daughter behind the back of the family they had visited.

 

The girl had started acting out and her mother had called in help from the Church. Believing her daughter to be possessed. Marcus and Tomas had caught the father crawling - in the thick of the night - inside the girl's bedroom. Her low moans and cries spurred the both of them on to storm into the room and beat the crap out of the father. The case was quickly handed over to the authorities.

 

Tomas was still ashamed of how he had lost control and hit the man countless times. He had needed to purge his frustration and had taken it out on a human.

 

Afterward, he had asked Marcus to take his confession. So he may unburden his soul. Marcus had refused.

 

"From now on, our lives will be filled with sins. You can't help it."

 

"I wish to come clean to God."

 

"Then speak to Him. I can't take your confession."

 

"You just don't care about how I feel." Tomas had bit out distraught.

 

Marcus had left the motel room and hadn't returned for several hours. When he had returned, Tomas apologised profusely, telling his friend he didn't know what had come over him. The not knowing was making him crazy. He felt so unbalanced.

 

The ex-priest had nodded in understanding and they had said no more about it. The next morning delicious pancakes were waiting for him as a peace-offering.

 

* * *

 

They were in Atlantic City, New Jersey, following another lead from father Bennett. They had been following a man - dressed in a sharp suit - for several days now. He may or may not have had contact with the Demon that Bennett and Mouse were tracking. They needed to find out what he did when he disappeared for hours on end. If he met anyone suspicious that could give them proof of his complicity to the complot in the Church.

 

The man - Eric - seemed to live in an apartment near to the gambling part of town. In the evenings neon lights and dancing people guided their paths while they inconspicuously slinked behind the back of the man. Every evening he had gone to the same play. In the same old theatre.

 

They had tried entering in disguise, but a buff man had stopped them, telling them in no uncertain terms that only members were allowed inside. That's why they were in the alley at the back of the theatre. Tomas was on the look-out, while Marcus tried picking the heavy lock on the corroded emergency exit.

 

"Marcus, are you sure..." The priest muttered under his breath while anxiously looking around. He had heard something, but his shoulders relaxed when he noticed it was just a stray cat climbing in the garbage container. Looking for some food.

 

"It's an emergency exit. Those happen to _not_ be locked for a reason. This one is. Now keep an eye out and shut up."

 

Another noise startled Tomas.

 

"Marcus..." He urgently whispered.

 

"What?" Marcus barked. Nose nearly pressed against the keyhole of the door in utter concentration.

 

"Someone's coming," Tomas said and quickly pulled Marcus to his feet. Desperately looking around for a hiding spot.

 

"Quick, behind that container." Marcus breathed close to his ear and pointed with his chin to the container on the other side of the alley. Footsteps were coming closer.

 

"They'll see us." They could hear it wasn't just one person. There were several coming up to their spot.

 

Marcus looked up for a fire emergency staircase. There was none. His hand went to the back of his belt where he hid his knife.

 

" _No_ ," Tomas spoke and pulled his hand back from the weapon. Eyes wide, he pushed Marcus against the wall. Wrists pressed into the bricks Tomas closed his mouth over the surprised one of his friend.

 

" _Pretend_." Tomas urged against his lips when he noticed Marcus wasn't moving. Wasn't breathing. He wasn't doing anything in his state of surprise. The older man suddenly pulled back. His eyes were red. The sounds kept getting closer.

 

Swiftly he switched their places and pressed Tomas against the wall. He kneeled and nuzzled against the crotch of the younger man's pants. Mustering up all the acting talent Tomas had in his body, he slid his fingers in the short blond hair and pressed the head closer to him whilst moaning loudly.

 

"Oh, yes. Just like that." He groaned. He felt Marcus' hands tighten on his hips. Pretending to be eager. With a shock, he realized he was really starting to harden. The ex-priest mouthed over the swelling underneath his zipper when three people passed them by.

 

They were teenagers. One of them was drinking out of a bottle and passing it onto the other one. The third halted in his tracks to look at the pair of them going at it against the wall. He whistled, gave a thumbs-up and continued after his oblivious friends. Their sounds quickly died out and then they were gone.

 

Marcus snatched his mouth back and slapped Tomas' hand from his hair. Abruptly he stood on his feet and walked several meters away from his friend. Back turned and hands clasped behind his neck, he didn't speak.

 

"Marcus?"

 

Discreetly Tomas pinched his half-hard member so it would lay more comfortably in his pants.

 

After several moments, Marcus turned back and kneeled again at the door. Picking at it again without hesitation. He never once looked at Tomas.

 

Maybe he just needed to let this slide. For once, he shouldn't ask questions.

 

* * *

 

"Left! Left! Turn left!" Marcus shouted. Tomas just kept running. Knowing that his friend was close on his heels.

 

They ended up in a dead end.

 

"Up!" Marcus put his hands together to help lift Tomas over the wall. The younger man threw his leg over and held out his hand. Reaching for the blond. Shouting voices were right behind them.

 

"Come on!" Tomas grunted while he pulled up the taller man next to him. Together they jumped over and continued running.

 

Backs plastered against a wall, they held their breath. Listening carefully. They were panting wildly.

 

"Do you think we lost them?" The priest whispered.

 

"I think so. In any case, he was too fat to follow us over that wall."

 

The two of them looked at each other for a moment and then they started howling. Slapping their knees in laughter.

 

"Wha... What are you gonna say to Bennett?" Tomas gasped.

 

"That's it a very important case. It must be seriously taken." Marcus roared.

 

"Seriously, though. How will we explain that?"

 

"Well... I can think of worse things than an underground SM-drag queen club."

 

"The bunny costume..."

 

"Now, _that_ is a serious offence to God."

 

Again they started laughing.

 

* * *

 

 

The outrageously drag queen incident had left the both of them in lighter spirits. They even decided to hang out another week in the city. Marcus had been there once - six years ago - and had no argument against Tomas wanting to take in the sights. So here he was. Pretending to give a damn about some city and giving his friend a tour.

 

Tomas seemed to enjoy it though. Whenever he wasn't looking, Marcus tried to drink in the sight of his happy face. The man seemed to be born to smile all day long.

 

* * *

 

Marcus gulped back the last of his fourth - maybe fifth - drink. He was watching Tomas surreptitiously at the bar - placing another order for them.

 

They had just eaten a burger and some French fries and were waiting for one of the shows to start. Tomas never seemed to ask where Marcus got the money and Marcus never offered. The less he knew. The better. He didn't want any more sins clouding the younger man's soul.

 

The bartender seemed to keep Tomas busy with some anecdote or such. His friend was smiling widely and gestured towards their table to point out he wasn't alone. With a shy grin, the man behind the bar slid a cardboard placemat over the counter to Tomas. Tomas took it with a forced grin. He took their two new drinks and made his way back to their table.

 

"What did he want?" Marcus slowly said while taking one of the drinks.

 

Tomas slid the placemat under his nose. There was a phone number scrawled on it. A red haze clouded his sight for a moment.

 

"Shall I take my leave, then?" He bitterly spoke.

 

"The number's for you."

 

Marcus blushed, he quickly glanced to the bartender - who had been watching him and immediately ducked his head to continue cleaning glasses - before turning his head to the stage.

 

"Are you... Are you going to take him up on his offer?" Tomas asked.

 

"Not interested."

 

"Don't you feel lonely sometimes?"

 

He did feel lonely. All the time. But not in the way Tomas was thinking.

 

"I have you, don't I?"

 

The younger man touched his hand gratefully. Marcus wanted to pull away but didn't dare.

 

"Oh, look. The show's about to start." Was all he replied instead.

 

* * *

 

Deeply sighing - Marcus sunk into the bathtub. The warm water sloshed over the sides. After their ordeal from that afternoon, he had immediately run to the shower to wash off the vomit and spit and blood. When the worst was gone, he had filled the bath. His aching body was begging for him to relax.

 

"Marcus?" Tomas knocked on the door. "I'm here to take care of those cuts. Mrs Wilson gave me her first aid kit."

 

The woman was probably baking up a storm in the kitchen - judging by the clattering pots and pans in the distance - to express her gratefulness for them saving her son.

 

Marcus knew they had to take care of the numerous lacerations decorating his body. The demon had possessed a sharp fighting spirit and equally sharp nails.

 

"Come in." He didn't give a shit anymore. Let Tomas see his battered, old and ugly body. He was hurting too much to even care. And if letting himself be nursed back to health was the only way to get touched by that beautiful man. God have mercy on his soul, he would take it without a moment of hesitation.

 

He heard Tomas close the door and then walk over to the dressing where he placed a few items. Marcus bent his legs and leaned forward on his knees. Exposing his back where the worst of the cuts were.

 

The first touch had the older man hissing between his teeth. He knew his body must be black and blue by now. He pulled back for a moment before letting Tomas touch him again. A man must do what a man must do.

 

Tomas gently prodded at the wounds. He disinfected them and taped up the bigger gashes.

 

"I'll cover them in gauze when you get out of the tub."

 

The water had turned slightly pink. Marcus was watching the wrinkles on his hands. His throat was all clogged up with tears but he just knew that Tomas understood how grateful he was.

 

The priest cupped the back of his head. Marcus pressed his head harder into the hand. He needed this. The younger man started petting him and Marcus let him. He needed this. A sob tore from his throat. The pressure of the hand increased. Letting him know he was not alone.

 

He pressed his fist against his mouth to silence most of the sounds he was making. His shaking shoulders made the water splash against the sides of the tub. He was probably turning the bathroom into a swimming pool.

 

"Marcus..." Tomas started.

 

He couldn't take pity.

 

" _Leave_ ," Marcus growled.

 

"I just want to..."

 

"LEAVE!"

 

The door closed. He wished he could drown himself.


	4. No Rest For The Wicked

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I. Said when you must continue with your work or other activity although you are very tired.

"Te lo suplico. Por favor, _más_..."

 

Marcus threw his shoe at Tomas.

 

"Mierda! Wha... What the Hell, Marcus?!"

 

"I don't even want to know what you were begging for." The older man grunted and turned back over so he could sleep again.

 

* * *

 

"Tell me something."

 

Tomas had been doing this since the last three weeks they had been on the road. Ever since they left the Kim family. He would ask Marcus if he could tell something about the time he didn't remember. If Marcus didn't want to talk, the younger man would sulk for days. If Marcus _did_ reply... Then the endless questions would start again.

 

"What."

 

"Why did I hug you at the marketplace?"

 

Marcus incredulously looked at his friend. Tomas pretended to be focused on the driving to give the ex-priest some time to gather his thoughts.

 

"You remembered something? Why didn't you tell?"

 

"Every time I remember something and tell you, you are upset. Like it wasn't what you wanted to hear. So I stopped telling you."

 

"What else do you remember?"

 

"Uh uh, Marcus. Quid pro quo."

 

Something about the way Marcus clenched his hands, told Tomas that the way he said it or whatever he had said, had touched a nerve.

 

"Stop the car. There's a gas station ahead."

 

"Tank's still full. Don't ignore my question."

 

"I... I need you to stop the car." Sunset was starting and they had been driving hours through the desert. The last car they had seen was sixty miles ago at the gas station they had stopped to fill the tank and take a short break so they could eat something.

 

"I remember I hugged you. You were... Scared. I think. You were trembling. We were at the side of a lake and I saw a market."

 

"You used to help me with... Communicating. Because you know how hard it is for me to open up. You read a book to me and tried its tricks."

 

"Did it work?"

 

"It did. But only because I allowed it. Stop the car."

 

"What trick?"

 

"You would only let me answer with yes or no. True or false. I could ignore you if it was too much and you had free reign to ask any questions you had."

"Why did I ask so many questions?"

 

"Why did you?? Seems to me you're _still_ doing it. Tomas, stop the car. I need some air."

 

"No, you don't get to ignore me again. Querrá escucharme, Marcus! I need you to talk to me!"

 

"And I don't want to!"

 

"Eres imposible!"

 

Marcus pulled the brake.

 

"Are you mad! You could've killed us!" Tomas shouted when he righted the car. This time they were standing still at the side of the road. Marcus jumped out the car.

 

"I need space!"

 

"Marcus, come back here right this instant! Tell me what's wrong!"

 

"It's none of your business."

 

> _"So you and Peter?" Was the first thing Tomas bit out._
> 
> _"No."_
> 
> _"It doesn't seem like that."_
> 
> _"It's none of your business."_
> 
> _"But Jessica was?"_
> 
> _"So because you don't have Jessica, I can't have anyone?"_
> 
> _"You yourself said it's too dangerous to have someone or something that can be lost."_

 

Tomas angrily followed Marcus out of the car. "You're behaving like a child! I just remember something else. When were you going to tell me about Peter?"

Marcus turned, "Peter? What are you talking about?"

 

> _"I don't have him. It was just a kiss!"_
> 
> _"He seems to know more about you than I do! You don't trust me and you hate me for finding things out about your past but you seem to be offering yourself freely to your _new_ best friend over there."_
> 
> _"Honestly, Tomas! Are you jealous? What do you want me to say? Let's pinky swear and we'll be best buddies forever?"_
> 
> _"I can never have any normal discussion with you!"_

 

"You know I was."

"You were what?" Marcus snarled.

"Jealous! Is that what you want to hear? I was jealous! I want to be the one to make you happy!"

 

> _"That's because you always need to win! You won't listen to reason!"_
> 
> _" _I_ never listen to reason? You shoot me down before I even ask!"_
> 
> _"Do you want to quit?" Tomas asked. This time calmer and full of sadness._
> 
> _"I can't quit."_
> 
> _"But do you _want_ to?"_
> 
> _"It doesn't matter."_
> 
> _"It _does_! Do you want to stop this? Go have dates with your man? I can take care of myself! So don't let _me_ stop you from finding happiness."_
> 
>  

"Then you should know there is not one reason for you to be jealous! I'm here with you now, aren't I? For better or worse! And whatever I do, how much I close off, you won't leave me alone!"

 

> _"You take care of yourself? So _that_ was what you were doing when I leave you alone for one evening? You go off and try to exorcise by yourself. Getting yourself killed three times in the Shadow Realm. You're impulsive and never even thought or respected what I wanted you to do. To stay put!"_
> 
> _"I'm not a dog! And you weren't there! I needed to go to the house. I was..."_
> 
> _"Called! Yes, I know! And I wasn't! Stop reminding me of my lost connection with _God_."_
> 
> _"I don't..."_
> 
> _"No, you don't think. That's what you do! It's fucking none of your business what I do in the free time whenever I even dare to take a break! You ask me to teach you but when I do you don't listen. You just do whatever Tomas wants to do! Never mind listening to a man with decades of experience. Just because you have a _gift_ and six months time on the road doesn't make you a professional!"_

 

"You're angry because you worry all the time. Why do you worry so? I am not worth your consideration." Tomas whispered. The memories were rushing through his head of a fight - similar to this one - they once had.

 

> _"Are you done insulting me? I have done everything you asked me so far. I nearly got killed over thirteen times by now. I try to take care of both of us and you ignore my attempts! You never let me in! You just bark and growl at me! And sometimes I see the man you really are but before I can get to know him, you hide him away from me and push me even farther away! You even tell Harper more than you do me. Why don't you trust me?"_
> 
> _"What do you mean? With Harper?"_
> 
> _"I heard you talk to her. She's right you know. You just push everyone away that wants to love you and..."_
> 
> _"Shut up! You don't know what you're talking about! You had no right..."_
> 
> _"See! There you go again! _I_ have no right? No right to _what_? You know _everything_ about me! You _demanded_ to know every secret I had and in return, I get what? Anger and silence from your side. Quid pro quo, my friend. Ever heard of it?"_

 

"Quid pro quo..." Tomas trailed off. He was realizing so many things now. "Were we... Were we together, Marcus?" His head was splitting.

"Together?"

"Did we love each other?"

 

> _"What is it you want, Tomas?!_
> 
> _"I want you to let me in! So I can watch your back. You rather trust a man you just met and a child you barely know much quicker than you do me. Why won't you trust me?"_
> 
> _"Because if I let you in you will leave!"_
> 
> _"I wouldn't..."_
> 
> _"You wouldn't? So if I tell you that I've been abused and hurt and humiliated all my life, you wouldn't be disgusted? You wouldn't be horrified to know that I've been raped and cut and bound. Left for dead over and over again and I was all alone to crawl back and get some more?"_
> 
> _"Marcus..."_

 

"Oh, God." Tomas fell to his knees. The abuse Marcus had suffered. He felt so powerless. "Why didn't you tell me?" He cried.

Marcus looked down on him. "What exactly didn't I tell you? Seems like you've been keeping things from me too." He bitterly replied.

 

> _"No! You don't get to do this to me! Every time I go in for an exorcism they show me my past. Over and over again! What do I get? Someone's who's questioning my every move! I get excommunicated! God leaves _me_! Sometimes I just want to feel what others feel! Warmth and kindness and gentle hands! The only thing I know is pain and shame and fear! I try to protect _your_ back all the time!"_
> 
> _"I could do the same for you."_
> 
> _"You could never! It's already too late for me."_
> 
> _"So you want to keep those things from happening to me. I understand."_
> 
> _"You don't! You literally don't! Instead, you're acting all indignant and resentful when I try to find a blink of happiness with someone else because you're jealous you can't have the same! Well, I'm sorry! Go back to Chicago! Go back to the woman you love and leave me alone! If me not trusting you is what it takes to break your spirit, then go!"_
> 
> _"I won't leave you."_
> 
> _"Everyone does eventually."_

 

"I don't want Jessica. I haven't wanted her in such a long time. I just need to be with you. Be your friend. I won't leave you. I said it to you then and I say it to you now. You can trust me."

"Shut up. I can't listen to this."

 

"Were we together, Marcus?"

 

"No! We weren't! We never were and never will be!" The lie sounded pitiful to his ears but apparently, Tomas seemed to believe him. The man hugged himself and looked down into the sand.

 

"Marcus, I am so sorry. I can't seem to make sense anymore of all the things in my head. I can't find my so-called gift back. I feel so useless."

 

Marcus plopped next to him on the ground. With the sun gone and the stars out, the chill set in rather quickly.

 

"I don't know how to heal you. It makes _me_ feel useless." He confessed.

 

"And here I am. Always trying to figure you out. I sometimes think you don't even like me. Do you want me to leave?"

 

"No."

 

"Then... Then can we focus on the now instead of trying to fix each other."

 

"I believe we may already be too broken."

 

"There is beauty in broken things."

 

"Then I must be the most beautiful thing you've ever seen." Marcus joked self-deprecatingly.

 

"Maybe you are." Tomas smiled. To that Marcus knew no snarky retort.

 

* * *

 

They were bundled in their sleeping bags in the back of the truck. Tomas had had the brilliant idea of camping out in the open and watching the stars in the desert.

 

"If I die from some insect bite, I will kill you," Marcus grumbled. He couldn't begin to even really care. They were pressed against each other to stay warm. Looking up. The younger man pointed out some of the constellations.

 

"I've always been drawn to the stars."

 

"Then you should've become an astronaut."

 

"Maybe if my abuelita had been a scientist instead of a Catholic."

 

"You would make a lousy astronaut."

 

"Thank you." Tomas smiled. "I have a theory."

 

"Hit me with it."

 

"Memories come back quicker when I'm emotional."

 

"I wonder why you haven't restored yourself fully then. One episode of Maria's yammering and you'll be fixed." The older man sarcastically replied.

 

"No. Real emotions. Deep emotions. When you shouted at me and I felt so awful - just now - I remembered much more than I usually do when my head clears out."

 

"If you want me to shout at you, you can just ask. You annoy me immensely."

 

"No... Just a theory we could think about. Maybe if you would let me perform an exorcism by myself I would be able to pull more of them..."

 

"No. You're not performing an exorcism yet."

 

"We've been on the road for eight months."

 

"One month that you remember."

 

"It's time."

 

"No."

 

"I need this, Marcus."

 

"I nearly lost you the last time you performed one!"

 

"You can't protect me forever. Please, think about it?"

 

"Fine." Marcus bit out. "I'll think about it." How could he refuse anything his friend asked of him?

 

"Marcus?"

 

" _Yes_?"

 

"What's the Shadow Realm?"

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay... I think I'm getting tired of my inspirational writing explosion. Is someone still enjoying this story?


	5. A Match Made In Heaven

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fluff  
> OOC Scenes  
> Because I felt like it  
> Sue me...............................(please don't, I'm too poor to afford a lawyer)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I. An extremely well-suited pairing of people or things; a match that will result in a particularly positive or successful outcome.
> 
> II. A very happy marriage or partnership.
> 
> III. A combination of two people or things which seems perfect.

Ever since their talk in the desert, Tomas and Marcus had found some sort of agreement. There was less anger now. Less frustration. They both tried their very best to communicate. It often led to them being 'over-polite' to one another, but it was better than the bitterness and annoyance that had been floating between them for the last few weeks.

 

Tomas didn't ask questions when he caught Marcus staring at him and Marcus allowed the priest to take care of him in his own way. To assure them everything was still okay between them. He in return tried to be nice too. He may have even found his gallantry judging by the grins Tomas sometimes threw him.

 

It wasn't too difficult learning to live together. They had their moments where they needed time apart or just plain silence. And then there were the times they needed to know they were still alive and not alone. Those moments were particularly present after every case they took.

 

Marcus felt like a drifter. He had always lived like a nomad, but now it was with a purpose. The more they travelled together, the better they seemed to work as a team. He even let Tomas assist on several cases - with the necessary caution of course - and it gave Tomas an extra boost to go the extra mile.

 

During the next weeks - when they relearned one another - there had been some more memory discoveries. Nothing much. Nothing about the Shadow Realm yet. Not for lack of trying on the priest's side. He desperately tried to find that place again. He was sure it meant something important and that it could help them with the harder cases.

 

The longer it took for the younger man to go inside his head - the happier Marcus was. As long as Tomas didn't leave to that place, he was safe - or more precisely - safer. He was somewhere where Marcus could reach him. Could help him back from the dark places during their adventures. This all to the great frustration of Tomas, but as said earlier. They learned how to deal with it.

 

There hadn't been a word from Bennett in three weeks and the men were on tenterhooks. They needed a goal. Something to keep them from sticking too long in the same place. It may also be extra difficult because when they had to stay somewhere for a while - they had to stick together. A week together in one small room with barely any social interaction... It got their minds doing overtime. And overthinking led to questions. Questions they weren't ready for. Nevertheless, Tomas tried to ask the right ones in the right way and Marcus tried to answer in a way that wasn't too hard for him.

 

They were currently in a supermarket. Marcus could have never imagined himself here - nine months ago - but here he was. Pushing a shopping cart in front of him and watching Tomas balance food options.

 

"Brown or white?" He lifted the loaves. Marcus shrugged. Tomas dropped the brown one in the cart and put the white loaf back.

 

The same happened at the fruit and veggies section. "Smell this." The younger man would say with a smile and press a melon underneath Marcus' nose. The ex-priest was already counting how many store racks they still had to pass before reaching the whisky.

 

The moment they got outside and started putting the groceries in the car - Marcus had promised not to grumble too much about it but only because Tomas would cook Mexican for him that very evening - three girl scouts were upon them. The older man's frown was enough to have them ask their question to Tomas.

 

"Could you sign our list? We need fifty before the end of the day." The tallest one asked.

 

"What's it for?" Tomas smiled. Already reaching for the pen the girl leader held out for him.

 

"We need as many petitions as possible of couples. Could you and your boyfriend both sign?"

 

Marcus spluttered.

 

"Of course we can! Don't we, honey?" Tomas grinned. Signing his name with a big flourish and handing the paper and pen over to the grumpy man trying not to throw the milk jug in that smug face.

 

Marcus signed the damned document. It was the first time he saw their two names next to each other, written on a page.

 

> _Tomas Ortega_
> 
> _Marcus Keane_

 

He never wanted to give it back even though he had to.

 

"Thanks! You're a cute couple." The girl smiled and the three of them ran off with their list. Already searching for their next victim.

 

Chuckling, Tomas brought back the cart while Marcus started the car.

 

* * *

 

 

"No, Tomas."

 

"Come on. It'll be fun!"

 

"No."

 

"Pretty please?"

 

"No."

 

"Okay. I'll go alone then."

 

"No."

 

"We've been here in Texas for ten days. I need to get out of here for a moment. It's a perfect way to mingle. Have some fun."

 

"No."

 

"You're starting to sound like a broken record."

 

A glower was his only reply.

 

* * *

 

"Here." Tomas pushed a corn-on-a-stick and a beer into Marcus' hands.

 

"Honestly. Can you act even more like a tourist?"

 

"I could buy us cowboy hats?" The priest said with a serious face.

 

Marcus drank from his beer. He was glad that Tomas had left his white collar at home and had gone to the fair in the older man's leather jacket to blend in more easily.

 

There were tents raised with heaters inside so everyone was comfortably warm while the prices for some contest were handed out. The floor got cleared and the first pair of country dancers bravely set in a four-step. It wasn't long before Marcus saw Tomas tapping his foot with the beat of the music.

 

He absolutely loathed this, if he didn't love seeing how much his friend was enjoying himself, he would have already drunk himself into a stupor. Seeing as they would be stuck here for a couple of hours more, he decided to start drinking just enough so he could stop thinking. With his past - a difficult to achieve, but Marcus felt up for the task.

 

Seven beers later had him singing along with Cotton Eyed Joe and clapping when he saw Tomas fail spectacularly at doing the dancing steps next to the overweight woman who had dragged him - despite his humble protests - onto the floor. Marcus had seen Tomas escape the very evil of Hell itself but put him in league with a redneck woman... The man was no match and would be dancing until he dropped. The older man caught Tomas' eye and made a sign that he was going for a piss. Tomas nodded and had to make a sharp turn due to the forceful arm of the enthusiastic woman.

 

Youngsters were hanging around and waiting in line for the bathrooms. Marcus sighed. This could take a while. It seemed there would be an after-party for the youth and adventurous grown-ups too. Stealthily - as a drunk man can only do - he made his way to the edge of the festival. Hidden by some trees he unzipped his pants and immediately sighed relieved. That had been close. Beer travelled fast.

 

"Give us your wallet and your phone!" A voice barked behind him.

 

Great. Just fucking great. The ex-priest carefully tucked himself away and turned around. Four teenage boys - badly hidden behind bandanas - faced him off.

 

"I don't carry any money and I can't give you my phone, lads." Marcus smiled.

 

"We're not joking, old man!" The second tallest one said and he pulled out a butterfly knife.

 

"That's nice. I wasn't in the mood for laughing either." Marcus ducked behind the tree and started running. They couldn't afford to get into trouble because of some stupid boys.

 

"Get him!"

 

The tallest one got in front of him and pushed him back. The ex-priest - usually graceful - flopped back on his arse. The world was spinning. Another reason why drinking was a bad idea. You couldn't possibly defend yourself while being robbed.

 

One of them hit him in the face before he could make it back up.

 

"You don't have to do this," Marcus spoke while trying to protect his head with his arm from the following blows. "I've been where you are now. There is still a place for you in this world." He didn't want to beat up these boys. And even if he wanted to, his hands felt like useless logs.

 

"Dejar de pelear! Stop fighting!"

 

"Tomas?" Marcus looked up and saw that his friend has come between him and the boys. He was lifting one of the boys off his feet and threw him down while snarling. He was a sight to behold. Defending the old lion at his feet with all the growling he got.

 

"You want money? Here!" Tomas yelled and threw several banknotes at their feet. "Money's never worth any violence! How would your loved ones feel if they could see you now?"

 

"Give us your phones too!" The teenager with the blade commanded while waving said weapon around.

 

"That's not a knife." Tomas laughed and reached behind him to grasp the sheath in the leather coat he was wearing. "That's a knife!" He said in his best Crocodile Dundee imitation and pulled the only knife Marcus had ever paid for. The ex-priest knew it had been a bad idea letting the Latino watch the Australian marathon on the crappy motel television.

 

It seemed to work.

 

"Yeah, you better run!"

 

"I can't believe that even worked," Marcus grunted when Tomas pulled him on his feet.

 

"Me neither. Lean on me, let's go home."

 

"Home, yeah. Great idea. I have all the luck."

 

"Yes, you do. You're a real champ."

 

"I'm _your_ champ." Marcus grinned stupidly in Tomas' neck.

 

The priest chuckled while dragging Marcus' ass back home.

 

"Tomaaaaas?"

 

"Yes, Marcus?" Tomas patiently pushed Marcus down on the bed and bend down to pull off his shoes.

 

"I don't want to be like this anymore."

 

"Like what?"

 

"Angry all the time."

 

"I know. I know you're actually really cuddly." Tomas knew he would never get away with the things he said now if he wasn't absolutely sure of how utterly wasted Marcus was.

 

"Only with you."

 

"And that's fine by me, Marcus."

 

"Y esa fue mi tortura..." The ex-priest mumbled in his pillow.

 

" _What_?" Tomas put his face closer to that of his friend. Why was Marcus suddenly speaking to him in Spanish? "What tortures you?"

 

"Pregu... Preguntádorna si..." Marcus yawned, "Si viviria para volver a besarte."

 

"If you want to kiss me, you can just ask." Tomas smiled, but Marcus was already asleep. "Sleep, mi amor." And with a soft kiss to the older man's forehead, Tomas dimmed the light.

 

The puzzle pieces were starting to make a picture in his head.

 

"Estoy impaciente por besarte otra vez, Marcus." Tomas cooed in the silent room.

 

I can't really wait to kiss you again.

 

* * *

 

"Goooood morning! Last night was fun, no?"

 

"Don't talk to me."

 

* * *

 

"Bennett?"

 

"We need the two of you here."

 

"What's the address?"

 

"We'll be there as soon as possible."

 

* * *

 

"GPS says follow Memphis," Tomas said from the passenger seat.

 

"I know."

 

They had been driving for over twelve hours now. Every four hours, they swapped places so the other could take a nap. Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, was a long way from Austin, Texas.

 

"Did father Bennett text the details yet?"

 

"I don't know. Check my phone." Marcus had to concentrate on the numerous exits that came upon them. He refused to 'borrow' automatic cars so he needed both hands to shift the gear when he had to slow down.

 

"There's been an accident." He groaned and tried passing the traffic jam. "I'll take an exit sooner."

 

"I can't find your phone, Marcus."

 

"It's in my pocket." The man absent-mindedly remembered before turning on his signals. It had started raining cats and dogs. "Buggering weather."

 

Tomas hesitated for a moment and then reached over, pulling his belt so he wouldn't choke himself when twisting towards Marcus' body. He pushed his hand inside the pocket - it was a tight squeeze - and felt around for the phone.

 

"What are you..."

 

"Taking your phone! Stretch your leg."

 

"I can't, I need to... Tomas!" Marcus warned. _That_ was _not_ his mobile.

 

"Sorry." His friend grinned sheepishly and laughed triumphantly when he slowly slipped the phone out. "Oh, no texts yet. He said he would, didn't he? After the last one?"

 

" _Yes_." Marcus bit out. He was definitely not comfortable right now and still trying to remind himself he had to drive.

 

He froze up again. Tomas had put his hand on his knee. He looked down. Marcus wasn't imagining it. There was a hand on his knee. His friend didn't even seem to notice. Instead, he kept looking out the window. Trying to make sense of the traffic. They were stuck for now and had slowed to a stop. Red brake lights shone inside the car.

 

"This is _cosy_." Tomas turned back to him and only then noticed where his hand was. Both of them were staring at it.

 

" _Tomas_."

 

A knock interrupted whatever Marcus was about to say. Someone tapped on his window. Slowly he let it down - just enough to stay dry and enough to hear and see who was there.

 

"Officer?" The ex-priest asked innocently.

 

"It'll be another twenty minutes or so. A truck has lost its load."

 

"Are there any wounded?" Tomas asked.

 

"No, just tons of boxes with diapers blocking the road. We're clearing them out right now."

 

"Thank you, Sir," Marcus replied. The officer tapped his head and went on to the next vehicle.

 

Tomas thought it had diffused the tension for a bit, but less was truer.

 

"Tomas, why is your hand still on my knee?" Marcus calmly said. He was anything but.

 

"Does it bother you?" His thumb started circling on the knee. Slowly he slid his hand upwards so he could knead the strong thigh underneath.

"I'm trying to drive."

 

"Not now. We're blocked for at least twenty minutes. What do you propose we do with that time?"

 

"What do _you_ propose we do with that time?"

 

"I was wondering if you could remember and repeat what you said to me that night of the fair?"

 

Marcus frowned in confusion. "What exactly? I said a great many things that night."

 

"When I put you in bed."

 

"I don't remember."

 

"I do. You want to know what you said before you fell asleep?"

 

"Even if I don't want to know, you'll tell me anyway, won't you?"

 

"You said: Y esa fue mi tortura preguntádorna si viviria para volver a besarte."

 

"I was drunk. I don't remember. I could have said anything."

 

"No, I don't think you could've said anything. Your Spanish is too good for that. In vino veritas, Marcus. We have kissed, have we not?"

 

"It didn't mean anything."

 

"You know what I replied?"

 

The older man's frightful expression was the only encouragement he needed.

 

"Estoy impaciente por besarte otra vez, Marcus."

 

Marcus closed his eyes. This... This seduction was impossible to ignore.

 

"We all make mistakes. I was drunk. It didn't mean anything."

 

"Why do I have the feeling you keep repeating that so you can convince yourself? Have we or have not kissed each other, Marcus?"

 

"Yes, back in that alley behind the theatre."

 

Tomas sat back in his seat and took away his hand. He knew his friend was lying. And Marcus knew he knew.

 

"Fine be that way."

 

"If I told you the truth, what do you believe that would happen?" The man behind the steering wheel softly asked.

 

The priest's eyes turned darker than before. "Then I would kiss you."

 

"We kissed back in Vancouver." The words rushed out of his mouth before he could stop himself. He really was pathetic.

 

Tomas leaned over to his side. His mouth closed in and when their lips almost touched, he smiled.

 

"No."

 

"No?"

 

"No, Marcus. I would like to surprise you." And he pulled back in his seat. "Tu me haces muy caliente, but I want to take my time with you. Do I turn you on?"

 

The ex-priest got out of the car. The cold rain would do what was impossible to do with thoughts alone. Five minutes later, he stepped back into the car. He was completely drenched and shivering.

 

"I believe you know the answer to that," Marcus mumbled before shifting gears again. Finally, there was some movement. After all, he was only human.

 

 

 

 


	6. Hell Hath No Fury Like An Ex-Priest Scorned

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hell Hath No Fury Like A Woman Scorned: (original)
> 
> I. A woman who has been rejected by a man can be ferociously angry and vindictive.
> 
> II. People say hell hath no fury like a woman scorned to suggest that women often react very angrily to things that upset them.
> 
> III. There is nothing as unpleasant as a woman who has been offended or whose love has not been returned.

"So you're the priest." Was the first thing Mouse said when they entered the shack of an apartment she and Bennett were staying. Her lip quirked and she threw a look at Marcus after sizing up Tomas. Marcus tried to act indifferent but he knew that she recognised the man from his drawings.

 

"Pleased to meet you." Tomas offered his hand in a friendly gesture. Mouse turned up her nose at it.

 

"At least you're pretty." And that's where father Bennett finally intervened by demanding their attention.

 

"If we're all introduced, let's get down to business. We need your help because there are several targets we need to follow."

 

"More drag queens?" Marcus joked.

 

"You wish," Bennett said and pointed at the maps and news articles strewn all over the table. "We kept tracing the money transactions. I have someone at the FBI that owes me a favour. That's how we found several names. The one you have followed in Atlantic City just happened to be an innocent bystander."

 

"What was he doing on the list of names then?"

 

"We've been trying to pinpoint the real culprits. Apparently, Eric was staying at the Hotel in Chicago at the wrong time. They transferred funds to him but as we found it, it was just a cover-up. They pretend to sponsor all sorts of events and groups. Some of them innocent and these ones hide the not-so-innocent ones."

 

"I see you've got several faces." Marcus nodded at the three pictures that hung on the wall.

 

"Yes." Mouse started. Her finger started at the red string starting from the middle picture to the left one. "These are the three persons seeming to stand at the head of the organisation that sponsored the homeless murders in Chicago. The company that actually isn't a company."

 

"Another cover-up," Tomas said.

 

"Exactly. And the human that was possessed by the demon had died. We're wondering if maybe her other associates took over."

 

"I recognise this face." Tomas murmured and pointed at the picture under her hand. "Isn't she famous or something?"

 

"Marcus frowned. "I don't believe we have ever met her."

 

"No, but I happen to read magazines. She's rich, no?"

 

"Listen to your friend, Marcus. He seems to keep an eye out for the normal happenings in the world." Bennett spoke.

 

"I'm an exorcist. Not a socialite."

 

"No, that we can tell." Mouse replied with a nasty smile. "There's a gala at the Carnegie Museum. We need to get close to that woman, Eden Powell. Find out if she's connected to the others directly or just another innocent cover-up story to hide behind."

 

"As her family is one of the wealthy benefactors to the new exposition, she will surely be there. Powell has RSVP'ed" Bennett assured them.

 

"Why can't we just ask a moment of her time? Where does she work?" Tomas asked.

 

Mouse scoffed. "Yeah, as if we can get one of the wealthiest women in America to grant us a moment of her time. She's always flanked by bodyguards when out in public and we have no known address where she lives. She seems to be moving all the time."

 

"Because she hides something?" Marcus muttered. His eyes mapping every detail of the beautiful woman's picture. "I still don't understand the connection to Chicago with her."

 

"She invested in the fake company and in the hotel. Her name is directly on the bank transfers. If she put money into their purpose, then maybe she knew what she was investing in. We need to make sure before we take the next step."

 

"And why not go after the other two guys?" Tomas pointed his chin at the other pictures on the wall.

 

"This guy, Rogers, turned up dead a week ago," Bennett grumbled.

 

"I had nothing to do with it." Mouse lifted her hands when Marcus frowned at her.

 

"And the other guy?"

 

"We saw him talk to Powell on several occasions outside one of her penthouses. They seemed to have been fighting and it's not her boyfriend."

 

"She married?"

 

"No, the man is also much older and we searched her family tree. Nothing. We only have his picture. Not a name nor anything else."

 

"Okay. Okay. So this woman is our only lead?" Marcus concluded.

 

"Yes." father Bennett nodded.

 

"Why do you need us for? Can't you track her yourself?"

 

Mouse and Bennett shared a look.

 

"They caught me breaking into her apartment. I can't get close to her without getting arrested." Mouse sulked.

 

"And I'm too well-known in the Church to be out and about. They see me as a traitor so I need to stay underground."

 

"I'm excommunicated. If she _does_ have connections to the plot against the Church, then she'll surely know me too. Maybe not that well, but we can't risk it."

 

"It's not you that we need." Mouse slowly said. Her eyes slunk back to Tomas who had been silent until then. "We get him a nice suit, shave his beard, slide on some glasses et voilà."

 

"You want Tomas to infiltrate the gala." Marcus flatly replied.

 

"Time to let the novice earn his place with us exorcists." Mouse baited them.

 

" _Mouse_." Bennett warned.

 

"No. No way. You're not sending him in without me." Marcus snarled.

 

"The man can speak for himself." The woman smirked and looked at Tomas who had yet to say anything about the new proceedings. They all looked at him. The ex-priest pleading with eyes for his friend to refuse.

 

"It's our only lead." Tomas shrugged. Marcus' face fell.

 

* * *

 

"Keep a low-profile," Marcus mumbled under his breath into the microphone on his collar. His eyes kept following the gorgeous tuxedo-clad man in the crowd. Mouse had put make-up on the ex-priest's face and had gotten him into a backstage position of the museum. Money had been exchanged between her and the caterer of the event, but here Marcus was. Standing behind the bar. Nobody really noticed the guy washing glasses all night long. Not even the bartenders said anything except to bark commands at him.

 

Tomas had a small earpiece in his ear and he smiled. His microphone hidden by the corsage on his chest. Bennett and Mouse were in the control room - probably with the help of more bribes - and kept an eye on the situation. The woman kept texting Marcus and he put the commands through to Tomas.

 

"She wants you to pick up a drink and go over to that ugly yellow thingy," Marcus whispered. His colleagues behind the bar probably thought he was schizo or something. Talking to himself all the time.

 

The undercover priest took a champagne flute from a passing waitress and nonchalantly made his way to the statue in the centre of the room. He seemed to really appreciate the art and slowly walked around. Even remarking something to two men talking excitedly about the piece before walking on.

 

"I feel like James Bond," Tomas muttered while pretending to take a sip.

 

"José Bond."

 

"That's racist."

 

"Maybe we _should_ let Trump build his wall."

 

"You're not getting rid of me that easily."

 

That made the older man go all warm on the inside and he looked up to see his friend enjoying the cultural experience. His smile fell.

 

"Five o'clock."

 

Tomas stiffened imperceptibly and then relaxed again when Powell took place next to him.

 

"What do you make of it?" She asked Tomas.

 

"What do you think it means?" He bounced the question back.

 

Eden smiled and took a sip from her cocktail. "It colour tries to make it a happy piece, but I don't think it is. It's rather sad. How the hand tries to reach in the air."

 

"You see a hand?"

 

"Don't you?"

 

"No, I see the sun rise once more."

 

"An optimist."

 

"The sun rises every day. It's a fact."

 

"What if it's clouded?"

 

"It's still there. You just need a touch of faith." Tomas charmed her.

 

"What's your name?"

 

"Alfonso Herrera." The priest warmly said and took her hand in his. "But my friends call me Poncho." He kissed the tips of her fingers. The woman seemed to blush but didn't take her hand away.

 

"Can I buy you a drink?" Tomas asked her.

 

"As I am paying for this event, let _me_ buy _you_ a drink."

 

"I can never refuse a smart woman."

 

"Not a beautiful woman?"

 

"I don't believe I need to remind you of that. I rather point out your other good attributes." Tomas slid his eyes appreciative over her face without dipping further down.

 

"A gentleman?"

 

"A dying breed, m'lady."

 

"Lead the way." Powell smiled. "Call me Eden, Poncho."

 

Marcus noticed he had snapped a wine glass' stem.

 

* * *

 

"I needed those limes cut yesterday."

 

"Yes, sir." Marcus bit out. His eyes focused on the knife slipping on the cutting board. He wanted to squeeze the lemons out in those woman's eyes. Tomas had been chatting and laughing with her all evening. His fingers once stroking her hair out of her face and tucking it behind her ear after a certain good joke. He pulled his hand back and held a coin. Eden exclaimed her surprise.

 

"You're a wizard!" She clapped her hands. Tomas jiggled the coin over his knuckles and suddenly it was gone. "Do you have any other talents?"

 

Another text buzzed in.

 

"Mouse sends a fishing hook. I have no idea what that means."

 

The ex-priest looked up to see Tomas slide closer to Eden. He was nearly slotted completely between her thighs. She was wearing a burgundy suit with a deep V and this time Tomas appreciated the view fully while she could see.

 

"I could... Show you." He murmured with a thick accent. His hand gently touching her knee. Tomas was so close to the woman that Marcus could hear her breath hitch. The priest was reeling her in.

 

"What would you show me?" She breathed out.

 

Tomas pulled her hair back so he could nose the side of her neck. His lips ghosted over her ear and he looked over her shoulder right at Marcus standing frozen by the limes.

 

"I would take my time with you. Slowly unwrap you like the beautiful present you are. I would fall on my knees and worship your body with my lips... My hands... I want to taste you and pleasure you until tears fall from your eyes. And when you are sated and limp beneath me, I would make love to you with everything that I've got. Because that is what you deserve. All or nothing and I want to give you all. Eres divino."

 

Eden pulled back so she could look Tomas in his eyes. The man blinked away from Marcus gaze and looked down at the flushed woman. She seemed to look for something in his eyes and then she opened her purse and pulled out a card.

 

"This is the spare key to my hotel room. Hilton, third honeymoon suite. Upper floor." She slid the card over to him on the bar. "I need to mingle with my guests but I'll see you later this evening?"

 

Tomas picked up the card. "You will."

 

With an excited grin, Powell extracted herself from him and after one long look, she took off into the crowd.

 

Marcus hated the emoji's Mouse sent to him in reply to Tomas' victory.

 

* * *

 

They were discussing their options in the restroom on the first floor of the Carnegie Museum.

 

"I say he goes and wait until she falls asleep." Mouse said. "He can access her computer and mobile."

 

"You _could_ bind her to a chair and spray her with holy water..." Bennett proposed.

 

"What do you think, Marcus?" Tomas asked his glowering friend.

 

"Oh, so I get to pick between you sleeping with that woman for church and faith or you attacking that woman out of nowhere? That'll surely get you arrested."

 

"I won't sleep with her."

 

"Look, father Tomas, I know we're a Catholic church and we're supposed to be celibate but..."

 

"It's not that." Tomas interrupted Bennett. "I'm not whoring myself out just to get some information."

 

"There are worse things to do." Mouse shrugged.

 

"Marcus? A little help here?"

 

"I can't tell you what to do, _Poncho_. It's all up to you. You wanted more responsibilities. Now you have them. Enjoy it while you can."

 

"Do you mean that?"

 

No, he didn't mean that. But he couldn't let the others know how much he was hurting on the inside. The thought of Tomas sharing the bed of Powell... Just to get some information. It was abhorrent.

 

The priest took Marcus' answer badly and angrily picked up his coat and hotel key card.

 

"Fine."

 

"We'll be monitoring you and try to get a room close to yours." Mouse said but Tomas had already slammed the door closed behind him.

 

"Jealousy doesn't suit you, Marcus. It's never wise to form an attachment." Bennett placed a hand on Marcus' shoulder.

 

The ex-priest shrugged it off. "Let's just get a hotel room and make sure he doesn't get himself into trouble."

 

 

 


	7. The Whore Of Babylon

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I. So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns.  
> And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication:  
> And upon her forehead was a name written, Mystery, Babylon the Great, the Mother of Harlots and Abominations of the Earth.  
> And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus: and when I saw her, I wondered with great admiration.  
> And here is the mind which hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth. (Book of Revelation)
> 
> II. Used to refer to the Roman Empire.
> 
> III. Derogatory word for the Roman Catholic Church.
> 
> VI. Slang term for Bank of America.

"You came," Eden said surprise tinged her voice.

Tomas didn't reply. He strode inside and pressed the woman against the wall immediately plundering her mouth with his skilled tongue. She moaned aloud and writhed in his arms. The door fell closed behind him and with kisses, the priest pressed her further into the room. He tried navigating them towards the table and noticed how her eyes were heavy-lidded. Her legs wrapped around his hips when she hit the edge of the counter.

"You're so strong." Powell moaned when he lifted her with one hand upon it. "And such a big boy." She grinned when he ground down between her legs. She wanted to say more but her breath stuttered of in a gasp.

 

* * *

 

"He got moves, for a _priest_." Mouse grinned. Ear pressed on the receiver. Marcus was smoking by the window and ignored the infuriating woman. He couldn't care less. He didn't want to know. Didn't want to stay posted on Tomas' progress. They weren't together, but he had thought that maybe they were going somewhere... Tomas and he hadn't talked about it and they were both free. Still... It felt as if the younger man was cheating on him.

 

* * *

 

"Let's crack a bottle. To celebrate." Tomas murmured in the woman's neck when they came up for air.

"What shall we toast to?" Eden asked while she turned around and looked in her well-stocked fridge. Her legs were trembling and she was eager to get back to the kissing.

"Let me." the man interrupted and took over the bottle from her shaking hands. "Let's toast on faith. How us meeting couldn't have been a coincidence."

"Yes." Powell sighed and her mouth dropped open when he bit her earlobe before turning away to pull the cork out of the bottle of champagne. "I... I have something. Stay here." The woman said and hurried off to the bedroom.

Tomas' shoulders immediately relaxed once she was gone and he took out two glasses.

 

* * *

 

"What's he doing? I can't hear him anymore." Bennett grumbled. He and Mouse were turning the knobs and pressing buttons to amplify the sounds in frustration.

Marcus had a good idea why they couldn't hear the two of them going at it anymore.

"Ah, it's back. Oh, she put on music. Definitely harder to hear them now." Mouse blew out annoyed.

He longed back for the days in the orphanage when he cut open the soft undersides of his arms.

 

* * *

 

"I've never met someone like you, Poncho." Eden groaned underneath Tomas. She had lost her dress shirt and he had loosened his thin tie. Both of them were still wearing their shoes.

"Someone Latino?" Tomas smiled against her clavicle.

"So considerate. Most men would have me naked by now."

"I like to take my time."

"I noticed."

"Let's have another glass." The priest murmured and turned back to the nightstand to refill her glass. His was still untouched. With great big gulps, she downed her third glass in a matter of seconds before pulling his chest back against her breasts.

"Poncho, please." She begged. Her hands reaching for his belt. Tomas assisted her with loosening his pants before kneeling by the bedside. Slowly slipping off her nylons. His hands softly touching the insides of her thighs before resting on the back of her knees and sliding down to her feet. He massaged them for a moment and she sighed.

"That feels so good after an evening in heels." Eden slurred.

"Lie back. Let me." Tomas whispered against her calve. His fingers kneading into the soles of her feet.

"Mmm, yes."

"You're so beautiful."

"Oh, Poncho..." Powell trailed off and went completely silent.

"Eden? Eden?" No reply. He looked up. She had fallen asleep.

 

* * *

 

"Still can't hear them." Mouse growled. The door suddenly burst open and Tomas stood in the doorway. His hair dishevelled and clothing unbuttoned.

"She's asleep. Quick."

Two minutes had the group of them in the hotel suite of the woman.

"Had I known you worked that fast..." Mouse said suggestively. They saw the trail of clothes towards the bedroom. The door was closed.

"Let's look for her laptop and mobile," Tomas replied instead. The others went directly to work and searched through the suite except for Marcus. He was staring at the counter. He had heard Tomas press the woman on top of it. Ravishing her. He tightened his fists in anger.

"Marcus..."

"I don't want to know."

"I didn't..."

"Sure you didn't... That's why that woman's in the bedroom asleep all fucked out now, is she, eh?"

Tomas threw a box on the counter. It was a medication box. Written out to one of their false identities when on the road.

"I gave her the valium we carry with us. To help me with my nightmares after a hard case. You got me them yourself."

"I..." Marcus was stunned.

"I crushed them, mixed it in the bottle while she was changing clothes and putting on music."

"Tomas, I thought...."

"You simply thought the worst of me. Like you always do. You don't trust me." The priest's voice told Marcus how much he was hurting with the distrust.

"It's not that I don't trust you, it's that I..."

"That you _what_?"

"I was jealous! _There_! That's what you wanted to hear?"

"Good. Shows me that you care!"

"That I ca... Piss off, Tomas!" Marcus roared. The younger man thought he didn't _care_? That _he_ didn't give a damn? He advanced on the priest and pressed his finger hard into his chest. "I don't care? I don't care?! All I do is care!"

"Sure." Tomas rolled his eyes. The ex-priest couldn't take it any more and pushed with both hands against Tomas' shoulders. Forcing the man back against the counter. Tomas pushed him back. With a thump, Marcus collided with the rack holding the kitchen appliances.

Heavily breathing they stared each other down. Their cheeks were red with anger and indignation. Their eyes flashing with frustration and... They flew at each other's throats. Teeth clacking and lip biting they turned around. A bar stool clattered to the floor. Tomas felt behind him so he wouldn't trip over because of the onslaught to his mouth.

"I do care. I do care." Marcus gasped out against those red luscious lips that had been tempting him since he met the priest. "You make me crazy. Utterly, uncontrollably crazy."

"First time I notice," Tomas grunted. His nails digging - hard - into Marcus sinewy back.

"Oh, you have no idea with which kind of iceberg you're dealing here."

"Tell me."

Marcus moaned when he felt their hardnesses rub against one another.

"I want you." He panted in that sinful mouth. "So much. It physically hurts not to touch you."

"Marcus, Tocame, por favor," Tomas begged. His hips thrusting wildly against the older man's thigh. Marcus' mouth ran dry and he tried to breathe.

" _Christ_ , Tomas! When you speak Spanish..." He bit down on the neck he saw in front of him. Black spots were appearing in front of his eyes whenever he opened them. It wouldn't take much to get off with such a gorgeous man writhing against him.

Tomas stilled.

 

> _"Christ, Tomas!" His nails dug deeper into the shoulders above him. "Every time... Every time you speak Spanish..." Marcus moaned and bared his throat to Tomas. "Every time gets me hard as iron." He confessed._

 

 

"It gets you hard as iron." The priest mumbled.

" _Yes_!" Marcus enthusiastically nodded before latching back onto Tomas' delicious mouth.

 

 

> _"I'm completely at your mercy."_
> 
> _"Marcus, breathe." Tomas smiled against his lips again._
> 
> _"Quiero saborearte, Marcus?"_
> 
> _"Where?"_
> 
> _"Everywhere."_

 

 

Tomas pushed Marcus back and looked him deep in the eye. "We had sex." He stated.

Marcus needed to scramble his brain cells together - with the blood that had left South - and tried to form words. He didn't understand.

"I'm confused." He finally stammered out.

"We. Had. Sex."

The older man's mouth dropped open. "You remembered?" His eyes cleared and shone with tears. "Did you remember? What did you see?"

Tomas stumbled back at the admission to them having had sex leaving Marcus' mouth.

"We had sex and you never told me. You never..."

"You lost your memories. I didn't want to burden y..."

"Burden me? _Burden_ me?! I had the right to know! Why would you even pretend nothing had happened and then let me..."

"Let you exactly _what_ , Tomas?"

"Chase you! I felt this connection between us and I didn't know why. Seems like you kept some big things pretty close to your chest. Why didn't you tell me? What else have you been keeping from me?"

"You said you were falling in love with me."

Tomas felt dizzy and clutched his head.

"I don't... Why can't I remember..." He muttered. Wildly thinking about how he was feeling right now.

"Tomas..." Marcus reached for him but Tomas slapped his hand away.

"No! Can't you see? I don't know if what I'm feeling now is the same as what I felt then. I like you, I do, but I..."

"So you had feelings for me before and now but because you can't remember them, you can't have them again? I don't think that's how feelings work." Marcus snapped.

"I trusted you! You kept this from me! If I had some time to think about it... But you just... And then we kiss and you let me believe... Let me believe it was mutual! You never say anything and I thought it was welcomed!"

"Why wouldn't I welcome it?"

"Seems like you didn't share the same feelings. Otherwise, you would've told me when I lost my memories. Eager to have me back. But you didn't. So you must've been glad not to have me chasing your tail romantically."

"That's not even remotely close to the truth."

"I don't think I can believe you. Whatever else you say. Truth or lie. I can't trust you. You've been manipulating me."

"I haven't. Honestly, I haven't."

"You just wanted sex then?"

" _No_!"

"Then why keep it silent?! Do you love me?"

Marcus couldn't answer that question. It was too close to his heart. He averted his eyes and stared at the upturned bar stool on the floor instead.

" _Right_." Tomas bit out and turned to go help the others before they came back. They were probably giving them space after they had heard the shouting start.

"Tomas." Marcus gripped him by the elbow. Hoping his eyes could convince Tomas of how he really felt.

"Don't touch me. You know what, Marcus? I knew you were damaged, but that you were this fucked up to play with my feelings... I could never have imagined." Tomas shrugged him off and left.

 

He longed back for the days in the orphanage when he cut open the soft undersides of his arms.

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I believe the story is going to be about ten chapters again. Everyone still with me so far? :-D  
> Please comment, it makes my day and helps me write faster ;-)
> 
> XOXOXO Corantien


	8. All Hell Broke Loose

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I. A situation suddenly becomes violent and noisy, especially with people arguing or fighting.
> 
> II. Synonym: Pandemonium

Marcus swiped a bowl with fruit of the counter in his anger and pulled at his hair with both hands. Tomas had to understand. He had to listen! The ex-priest was tired of their miscommunications, their frustrations... But so much had happened and there were still so many questions like what had happened when Tomas had been in the Shadow Realm, how did he get back and Marcus was terrified. Scared that maybe it was his fault that Tomas thought he loved the older man.

 

Maybe being together on the road for so long had muddled his mind and especially so after his coma, the man was destined to be confused. Marcus didn't want to take advantage of that and he really did not want to force Tomas into something he wasn't ready for or sure about. If there was just a way where he could have his memories back... So they finally could have that talk they had promised each other after their night of lovemaking.

 

Determined to come clean about everything - even if he had to drag the man outside the hotel - Marcus followed the others into the other room where he guessed the office room must have been. Sticking his chin up, he pushed open the door - he won't let Mouse stop him or Bennett and he won't take no for an answer. It's time to lay everything on the table. He couldn't care less about the case as long that Tomas and he would be okay again. They were a team. They needed each other. Marcus needed him.

 

"Did you fi..." He started when the door opened and he entered the dim room. "Bennett?" He was confused. A noise behind him - next to the back of the door - startled him and he turned around. His eyes widened and something got sprayed on his face. He tried not to breathe but it was already too late.

 

Everything was turning black and now he was laying cheek down on the floor. The ex-priest could see his friend lying beside the desk and with everything he had, he tried to crawl nearer - he stretched his fingers and tried to touch Tomas. Please, don't be dead. Darkness was closing in quicker than his body could comprehend.

 

"To..." A barefoot with painted toenails came into his view. He tried looking up and then... Sweet oblivion.

 

* * *

 

He awoke to someone shouting angrily in Spanish. Marcus had never heard such colourful words leave his friend's mouth and he cracked a smile until a cold bucket of water doused him.

 

The man shot up and took in his surroundings with bloodshot eyes. He was freezing and looked down. As he suspected, he was nearly naked.

 

"Wakey, wakey." Powell crooned in his ear from her place behind him.

 

"Leave him alone!" Tomas shouted.

 

Mouse rolled her eyes and Bennett was obviously trying to think his way out of here.

 

"How..." Marcus was still confused. The fog in his head was clearing much too slow to take in all the details.

 

"You think I'm stupid?" Eden said and danced from behind him towards Tomas. Now Marcus' eyes dropped open with sudden realisation. Tomas was bound to a chair, shivering, and in his briefs. So was Bennett. Mouse was lucky enough to be still wearing her tank-top.

 

"I knew who he was, the moment I stepped foot into the Museum. It was orchestrated and you all fell so prettily for it."

 

"Then why let me come to your hotel room?" Tomas bit out.

 

"Girls just wanna have fun, padre."

 

"He put valium into your drink," Marcus muttered.

 

"Oh, please. As if valium could stop _me_." Her voice took on a deeper tone and when they looked at her, they could easily discern the extra pupil in her eye.

 

"You're possessed." the dark-skinned man stated dryly.

 

"Bingo! All the points to the Vatican, father. You just won yourself a nice beauty treatment." Eden giggled and with her nails, she clawed two even scratches on his left cheek as slowly as she could. Bennett didn't pull away - but he did bite his lip - he wouldn't give her the satisfaction of crying out.

 

"So it was you? You have orchestrated everything since before Chicago." Mouse nodded in fake understanding - hoping to get more information. Her eyes flitted around. Looking for an escape.

 

"You flatter me, my dear. But no. That wasn't me. That was my master. He'll be here soon."

 

"I didn't mean it as a compliment. I was being sarcastic. I knew you weren't clever enough."

 

That got Mouse - chair and all - slammed upside down before being righted again by some invisible force.

 

"Don't underestimate me, _bitch_." The Demon-Eden snarled.

 

"Now we're finally getting somewhere." Mouse grinned through her bloodstained teeth. "Could you - maybe if it's not too much trouble - tell us what's going to happen to us? I'm getting terribly bored."

 

Marcus had to give it to her. The woman had balls. He snorted and they shared a glance. Finally, they had something to bond over. Something they both understood. There was no bargaining with demons.

 

"I rather agree, Miss Powell, by now most other demons would have told us proudly of their nefarious plans. You haven't, so I guess you mustn't be that high up the rank? Could you put us through to the manager, please? I'd like to lodge a complaint." The ex-priest joined the mocking.

 

He was expecting to be hit, spit on or even thrown into a wall. Instead the demon - her eyes all of a sudden a blinding red - put her face close to his. Slowly she started to grin. Marcus tried not to let it creep him out and kept the bored face on.

 

"Oh, no, Mr Keane. I heard your little fight a while earlier. And we demons happen to communicate. I know you care much more about father Tomas than you care about yourself. I won't hurt _you_."

 

Fear started clouding his mind. "What do you mean?"

 

"Enough with the jokes or you'll find out."

 

"I wasn't even joking. The other guests have complaints too." Marcus remarked. Not deterred by her threats.

 

Suddenly swirling - until she was back in front of Tomas - she slammed down her hand. Too late did he see the metal object glinting in her hand. The priest shouted loudly in pure agony. With terror-stricken eyes, he stared at the screwdriver embedded in his trembling thigh. Spanish prayers kept sprouting from his mouth. Trying to keep the pain at bay.

 

"You fucking cunt!" Marcus shouted.

 

Eden turned around. Her eyes glinting. "You've shown me _all_ your cards, Marcus."

 

Slowly - and with glee - she pulled out the screwdriver. Turning it on its way out of the wounded flesh. Marcus nearly got sick hearing the cloth of Tomas' pants and the ripped open skin squelch together.

                              

"Any other... _Complaints_?" She asked.

 

"If that's all you've got?" Mouse smiled. "He may be weak, but I'm not."

 

"Oh, I know." the Demon-Powell smiled back. "But have you ever heard a man beg as prettily as Mr Keane will do when I do _this_?" Her sharp manicured nail - including ring - punctured through the gaping screwdriver hole in Tomas' legs. The priest howled. He was shaking so hard, they could all hear his chair rattle.

 

"STOP IT! _PLEASE_!" Marcus pleaded. And he knew she had won. He would keep begging her not to hurt Tomas. He would stop the others from endangering the man he loved. He would risk everything - their entire mission - just to keep the man, that guarded his heart, safe.

 

Mouse bitterly looked away. Pretending to be disinterested. They were checkmated. For _now_.

 

"Are you going to say something too?" Powell asked Bennett. Bennett slowly shook his head.

 

"Good." She pulled out her finger and leaned over to lick the tears from Tomas' face. "I had hoped I could have had your body first, but when I noticed you didn't care for me - _carnally_ \- I followed your lead and pretended to fall asleep. You're pathetic. The man doesn't even trust you." She was fake whispering - so obviously all of them could hear her.

 

"Don't listen to her, Tomas. You know it's a lie." Marcus said. Tomas looked at him. So many unspoken things passed between them.

 

"I know." Tomas nodded, a watery smile tried to force its way back on his face despite the excruciating pain.

 

The ex-priest had been forgiven. Nothing could break them as long as they were a team.

 

"Ugh." Eden sighed in disgust. "Let the waiting game begin." And pulled out her phone to start tweeting about the Museum event.

 

Bennett stared at her in confusion. She had the four of them at her mercy and she was _tweeting_?

 

Powell saw his face and shrugged. "What? I need to keep up appearances. Now, should I use a rainbow or a flower to describe the beautiful art I've enjoyed?"

 

She looked from Tomas to Marcus.

 

"Oh, definitely a rainbow." The older man said while looking straight into those red eyes. The game was _on_.

 

* * *

 

 "He's going down." Mouse suddenly warned. Marcus - who had been dozing the last forty minutes - felt his neck hurt when he snapped up his head as fast as humanly possible to look over at Tomas. The young man looked feverish and his face was going alarmingly slack. He shook his head as if trying to stay awake, only to nod off again. His chin touched his chest and he didn't move anymore.

 

"Tomas." Marcus tried to urge him awake. The panic clearly clogging his throat.

 

Eden only seemed to groan in frustration before leaving her place - where she had been playing Angry Birds - to go over to the unconscious man.

 

"Wake up." She clapped next to his ear but the priest still didn't move.

 

"Is he breathing?" Mouse asked. Bennett had been suspiciously quiet during the entire ordeal and Marcus wanted to blame all of them if Tomas was indeed not breathing any longer.

 

Powell put her face close to Tomas' nose and mouth and listened intently. That was when Tomas suddenly surged up and bit her in the neck. Like a pitbull, he didn't let go of her. She screamed and screamed and tried to claw away from him but Tomas kept her flesh between his teeth. His eyes crazed with desperation. In the meantime, Bennett had seemed to spring free from his restraints with no trouble - Marcus narrowed his eyes - and he ran over to Mouse to free her too. It had all been a set-up while the ex-priest's attention had slackened after the amount of time with no new stimulus.

 

He had to admit - it was made extra believable - when they could all hear the fear in his voice when he thought Tomas had really been knock-out.

 

With a fierce shriek, Eden pulled herself free. Tomas' chin and neck were covered in blood and he spat out the piece of flesh he had taken from her. She slapped him in the face while her other hand covered the spurting flesh wound in her neck. A normal human would bleed to death an - entirely and voluntarily - integrated demon would take minutes. She was lost to them anyway so her death would be of no consequence.

 

Alarmed she saw Bennett tear at the loosened knots of Mouse's ropes. She stormed over to them but Bennett twisted away just in time.

 

"Just go! Get help!" Mouse screamed. She knew he would lose them time and opportunity. He turned and suddenly stuttered. They watched his back and heard his breathing woosh out. Father Bennett stepped aside and they could all see a little boy standing there with a knife that had slipped from the father's body.

 

"Bennett!" Marcus shouted. The man went down clutching his midsection and closed his eyes.

 

The three of them watched the little boy whose eyes snapped to Eden's.

 

"I'm sorry master." She cried and threw herself in front of him. The boy put his hands calmingly around her face. "Shhh, pet. You are forgiven." Powell looked up in rapt adoration at the child. Quick as lightning, he snapped her neck.

 

"I do not tolerate incompetence." The boy said. "Come forward." He said to no-one in particular. Several people - dressed in dark purple robes - closed in on them in a circle formation. They seemed to wait for a sign.

 

"You're a child?" Tomas asked. His face completely befuddled. How could they kill a mere boy? "You're just a human child."

 

"That's where you are wrong, Tomas." The boy spoke with the voice of a millennium old soul. "I am not human."

 

The boy didn't need to say more. Marcus understood. They had never stood before such evil, but here it was. Proof that it could exist. He had waited for this because he knew they would've evolved eventually.

 

"You're the offspring of fully integrated humans." He whispered in realisation.

 

"Who were completely devoted to our cause. Our plan began almost twelve years ago."

 

"And here you stand."

 

"And here I stand. Aren't I perfect?" The boy smiled and spread his hands to slowly turn around so they could all gaze upon him.

 

"You're an abomination." Mouse growled. Desperately trying to break loose from the restraints that father Bennett had nearly removed.

 

"Silence." The boy whined highly. With a wave of his hand, Mouse loudly started squeaking. Her eyes fearful. Her voice had gone. How could so perform an exorcism without a voice?

 

"What's your name?"

 

That made Marcus look back again at his friend. Tomas looked completely wrecked and yet... So defiant.

 

"You are interesting to us." The boy glided closer towards the priest. Marcus stiffened. There was nothing he could do from here.

 

"Why?"

 

"How pe-cu-liar." The creature-boy hissed. "You don't remember."

 

It had finally come back to bite them in the ass.

 

"What don't I remember?"

 

"You're the Warrior. The Righteous Man and Redeemer of the World. You're the only one who can handle the weapon that our Creator made. You'll be useful and a powerful ally once we've convinced you."

 

Tomas didn't know what the boy was talking about but vehemently shook his head at that. "Never! I'll never join you!"

 

Marcus couldn't help feeling the stab of jealousy when he heard the creature's words. He had always known Tomas was special. He just didn't know how special and how important his task had been.

 

"I'm sorry, Tomas. I should've taught you more. Told you more." He confessed and looked at the younger man. They could've solved so many mysteries. They would have been more powerful as a team if Marcus had only helped Tomas more so he could remember. Instead, his fear has kept them from knowledge and the lack of knowledge has led them to their own destruction.

 

"I know enough." Tomas spit at the creature.

 

The boy cackled. "You've got fire! I will enjoy extinguishing it when I kill your friend and then I will take your soul. With your power to wield God's weapons Himself, we will be invincible!"

 

The people - hidden in their thick robes - cheered at that. The first sounds they made in the entire time they had been there.

 

"You'll never have my soul."

 

"Oh no, indeed. We first need a crack to slip inside and your mind is closed off. I have never met a human with such fortified thoughts. As if they were locked away by purpose." The boy turned towards Marcus. "Your friend on the other hand... His mind is a wide gaping hole of pain. There isn't a door more beautiful than the one hurt opened for us."

 

The ex-priest stared at his knobbly knees and started to pray. Tried to banish all other thoughts from his head, because he knew it was true. He was damaged. Had been for such a long time and the fight with Tomas had left him unbalanced. He wasn't mentally prepared but he had experience with keeping demons out. So he did what he did best and started praying and saying every word and citation that he knew to expel demons. To make them flee.

 

"I'm not a mere demon." The creature-boy whispered. When had he come to stand so close to Marcus? Could he read his mind?

 

"Yes." It whispered and with two fingers he slowly reached out. Marcus snapped his head back, hoping to make his chair kip over so he wouldn't be touched but it was no use. "Marcus."

 

The man's eyes rolled back. The creature had barged in his head as subtle as a bull in a china shop.

 

" _No_!" Was the last thing he heard before it took over his mind.

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pheeeew, that was a hard one to write. Thoughts?


	9. In League With The Devil

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I. Working or planning together with the Devil, someone or something evil to make bad things happen.

"What are you doing with him?" Tomas demanded to know. Marcus had yet to move and the creature-boy was frowning in deep concentration. The small body crumpled to the floor and Marcus opened his eyes.

 

"That was harder than I expected."

 

It was the ex-priest's voice. The same face. Yet...

 

"No." His friend whispered. "No, no, not Marcus." His eyes were stinging and he felt worthless.

 

Marcus flicked his glance at one of the robed persons standing close, the man stepped forward and untied the older man. With a groan - now freed - he stood up and rubbed his wrists.

 

"I can feel his power inside me. He's still struggling." Marcus said to the man that had helped him from his bindings. "No matter. In a short while, there will be nothing left of his mind."

 

The creature - wearing Marcus as an odd-fitting suit - stepped towards Mouse and placed his hands around her neck.

 

"I'm sorry dear, but you did kill some of my assistants. I hate having to interview new applicants." Marcus smirked and started tightening his hands. Mouse choked. Her eyes boring into Marcus', hoping there was something left of him that could save her. The hands faltered.

 

"No." The creature said out loud and resumed the strangling.

 

"Marcus, you're still in there! I know you are! Resist!" Tomas yelled and started struggling again in his binds despite his wound. Luckily it had stopped bleeding but still, it hurt like Hell.

 

"No!" Marcus broke free for a moment and fell to his knees, looking at his hands. "Don't make me..." His eyes rolled back again. When they returned this time, he looked more determined than ever, but the creature was still in control.

 

He reached out a hand and one of his minions handed him a robe. Marcus shrugged it on and then held out his hand again. He was handed a knife.

 

Mouse's eyes opened.

 

"There won't be time to resist this," Marcus smirked and with a smooth slash of the blade, he opened Mouse's neck. Unable to speak, her mouth gaped open and closed for several times. Tomas oddly thought about a fish on land and his heart cried for losing one of their one. Blood gushed over her chest until she moved no more.

 

Creature-Marcus turned back to Tomas.

 

"Now, what shall we do with _you_?"

 

Tomas noticed that the creature had less trouble in controlling the body it was possessing than before. It walked smoother - almost naturally - towards him. That meant that Marcus' soul was giving out. He needed to get it back.

 

"Tell me. What do you desire most? I can give it to you. In return, I only ask your loyalty."

 

"You're wearing whatever I want."

 

"You can have him for all eternity. Just say yes."

 

"Pendejo! Let him go!"

 

"We can do this the easy way or the hard way." Creature-Marcus threatened.

 

"I only know of one way. The Right Way." Tomas spat. The creature snarled and put his hands on Tomas' face.

 

"Then you will fail."

 

* * *

 

_"Where am I?" Tomas asked out loud. He was standing in some sort of building. An old grey building. Plaster was peeling off the walls and before him was a long hallway. It seemed to go on for ever and ever._

_"Hellooooooo!" He shouted._

_There were numerous doors, both on the left and the right side, down the hall. The colours of the place were dark and sickly. Greenish and black and grey. One could become depressed in a place like this._

_"Where am I?" He demanded to know again._

_"We are in Marcus' Mind Palace, his mind." A voice whispered. There was no-one there. A ghost. It was playing mind-tricks on him._

_"Where is Marcus?"_

_"Look and you will find."_

_Filled with fearful trepidation Tomas took a hold of the doorknob of the first door on his left. It rattled and with a strong push, it creaked open._

_There were they. The both of them. But it was a memory. Tomas was shouting at Marcus in the kitchen of the hotel suite._

"Don't touch me. You know what, Marcus? I knew you were damaged, but that you were this fucked up to play with my feelings... I could never have imagined."

 

_And the scene replayed. And replayed. And replayed._

_"What is this?"_

_"A Hell of his own making. I trapped your dear Marcus inside his worst nightmares for all eternity."_

_Tomas felt his heart break. This was one of his friend's worst memories?_

_"Concede and I will free him of this torment. Refuse..."_

"Don't touch me. You know what, Marcus? I knew you were damaged, but that you were this fucked up to play with my feelings... I could never have imagined."

 

_And all that Tomas could see was the heartbroken look on the face of his friend. Again and again and again. Biting his lip, he turned resolutely and fled back into the hallway._

_They couldn't! They just couldn't be all bad memories! There had to be something there that was good. Something that could pull him back!_

_Desperate he pulled open the next door._

_He saw an older man pulling out his belt and hiss at a younger fairheaded boy._

_"His father is going to punish him... Again." The voice seemed to be smirking. As if he was some glorified narrator of Marcus' worst nightmares. Just to torment them both even more._

_"Stop!" Tomas tried to halt the man raising his arm to beat the young boy but completely went through. He wasn't even really here. He couldn't materialize. He couldn't stop this._

_Door after door he threw open and each and every one of them showed him the horrible truth of his friend's past._

_"No! Make it stop!"_

_"You know what to do!"_

_"Never!"_

_A next memory showed himself shouting at Marcus again. Arguing why they should that Angela about Casey. Where she was hiding. Angry that his friend was lying. Keeping away the truth. He didn't remember this fight. He was seeing something that he had forgotten!_

_The next one had him getting hurt over and over again. Hit by a hammer._

_It was all coming back to him!_

"Do you remember how angry you were at me for giving up with Casey after a while? With Angela? When I told you I didn't have any powers anymore? That she was fully integrated and we could never save her? You saved her, Tomas. You did."

 

_Some of these bad memories were the ones he was missing. They were slowly filling the gaps. Before the creature could realise what he was doing, Tomas kept throwing open every door he passed. Filling in the blanks. Making the puzzle pieces fit again._

"And I got so mad at you when you threw out my Snickers. Remember? You said that if I wasn't about to die from a nicotine poisoning, I would go out with diabetes instead."

 

_Oh, Marcus. They had been through so much. How could he have forgotten?_

"And then... I... I realized I was attracted to you when I found you asleep on the couch. You must think me a creep when you discovered I started drawing you, but your eyes... Your eyebrows. They mesmerize me. Your beautiful lips. I knew that I wanted to draw them forever if I couldn't kiss them."

 

_Something started to burn in his hand and Tomas looked down to see a tiny fleck of light start to brighten in his right palm._

"I tried to ignore how I felt for so long. I thought I could never have you. Could never have your love. I was so strict. So angry all the time. You were right. I did try to push you away. I didn't want you close because when I get close to innocent souls, I destroy them. This is all my fault. You were influenced by me to do this kind of work. I am so sorry."

_Every choice he had made, had been his own. Marcus could never push him away._

"Tomas... I... I love you."

 

_It had all returned._

_"Show yourself!" Tomas shouted. He held a sword in his hand and kept it steady in front of him with the utmost concentration._

_Creature-Marcus was back and smirked. "I'm no ordinary demon. If you pierce me with that sword, your lover will die."_

_Tomas knew it to be true but he also believed in Marcus, in his love for Marcus and in this gift he had been granted by God._

_"You forget one thing..." He started. "I may be the Redeemer and the Warrior, but I get my Power from my Love and he is not weak."_

_With a great roar, Tomas lashed out at the wall near to him with the sword. A giant gap appeared. A split into time - and without hesitation - he stepped through. He rather trusted the darkness than this bleak place filled with haunted memories._

* * *

 

Only to return back into his body with a gasp. Creature-Marcus was staring at him with barely disguised disgust.

 

"Seems that I will have no use for you after all." It snarled and lifted the knife.

 

Tomas saw several persons move in the corner of his eye. Bennett had jumped up and tackled the creature. Immediately several cloaked bystanders jumped in but father Bennett held the knife to Marcus' throat.

 

"If you take one step closer, I will kill this vessel of your master."

 

They halted, hesitated and shared some looks, before taking several steps back. Quickly Bennett cut off the ropes on Tomas' wrist - so he could free himself - before turning the blade back beneath Marcus' chin. "Don't you fucking move," Bennett growled at the monster.

 

Tomas jumped free of his constraints - momentarily forgetting about his wound - before hissing and collapsing on one knee. He cursed several moments underneath his breath in Spanish before trying to right himself again holding the chair.

 

"Now what?" Bennett asked. Knowing that Tomas will be more up-to-date with the proceedings than he. After all... He had shared a mindspace with the Demon.

 

"Now we bind him to this chair and perform an exorcism."

 

* * *

"Tomas, what about the others?" Bennett hissed under his breath. He had kept the blade on Marcus' neck - knowing it was the only thing keeping the loyal followers at bay. He just knew, the moment he lifted the knife away or would start the exorcism - they would be upon them.

 

"Then we kidnap him. Somewhere where they can't find him. Somewhere safe." Tomas decided. His eyes never leaving of the smug-looking Creature habiting the body of his dear friend.

 

"They will find me." Marcus grinned lazily.

 

"Forgive me." The priest whispered aghast and hit the man bound on a chair with all his might on the head with a piece of wood he found lying around.

 

The others sprang forward but Bennett held the knife closer to the unconscious Marcus' neck.

 

"Take one step closer and I will kill him."

 

One of them stepped forward. "He would never allow it." The person said in a deep voice. Its hooded face pointed towards Tomas.

 

Tomas took over the knife. "If he is lost to us forever to the Dark, I'll kill him myself. Even if it is the last thing I do."

 

"You wouldn't dare." The man growled.

 

"He would do it for me if our roles had been reversed."

 

The steadiness in Tomas' voice must have convinced them - for they all took a step back.

 

"It'll take more to destroy us." One of them hissed at the duo leaving with Marcus carried between them. "We will find you."

 

"You'll certainly try. We will never give up." Bennett threatened before pulling the door closed behind them and looking around for a vehicle.

 

"Give me a minute. I think I see our stuff." He said and took off. Leaving Tomas alone with his knocked-out friend.

 

"Marcus, we won't give up on you. Fight! Fight with everything you've got. Save yourself and come back to me. I'm coming for you. Just fight, _please_!"

 

* * *

 

"Where are you taking us?" Tomas asked - he remembered all too clearly the car chase Marcus and he had been through with the angry husband close on their heels. This time it was him and Marcus in the back of a truck and Bennett driving crazy behind the wheel. They had been fortunate to find their clothes on their way out. They had just been dropped over a chair near the entrance and held still most of their possessions. Quickly they had changed before stealing a car.

 

"I know of a place. Held by a friend."

 

"Can we trust him?"

 

"Do we have any other choice at this point?" Bennett tried not to think about the fact they had to leave Mouse's body behind. The little boy's vessel was still on the floor. They had only thought about getting away with Marcus' body possessed by the evilness they desperately want to expel from this world. They urgently needed to attend to their wounds too.

 

"As long as you get there," Tomas muttered. His hand placed on Marcus' neck. Feeling for a heartbeat. The clamminess of his friend's forehead put him slightly at rest. He was still in there somewhere. Only Tomas had only expected it to be him getting possessed after a bad altercation in the Shadow Realm. Never Marcus. Sweet, kind and dear Marcus who was still so forgiving and helpful towards people after all he had been through.

 

He ignored the thudding in his thigh and crept closer to his friend. "When we get through here, we'll go somewhere peaceful." The priest promised and kissed the sweat-soaked brow. "I'll never leave you."

 

* * *

 

"Madre de Dios, where did you bring us?" Tomas hissed. The blood loss had made him slightly dizzy but he continued on. Dragging the dead weight of Marcus between them, they stood in front of a large iron wrought gate where they could hear dogs bark. As if they knew what was coming to them.

 

"An animal shelter. It's the only person I know here." Bennett replied grimly. "Now we pray he's home." And he pressed the buzzer several times. Nothing. He kept on pressing it and they could see a light turn on.

 

"What the Hell?" A voice replied groggily through the intercom.

 

"Adrian, it's me. Father Bennett. We need your help."

 

A loud beeping noise was the only answer and quickly they pressed through the opened gate.

 

"How do you know this guy?" Tomas asked under his breath when he saw someone walk towards them - hastily closing a bathrobe and with fluffy slippers on his feet.

 

"I can tell you myself," Adrian said when he reached them. He had heard Tomas ask and quickly helped them get Marcus inside. "I'm a vet and I keep this shelter open. Bennett helped me and my wife Hannah years ago."

 

"With an exorcism?"

 

"Hannah was integrated. After our son Walter... She just..."

 

"I'm sorry for your loss," Tomas said and they hefted his friend onto the operating table.

 

"Marcus was here too. He saved her soul."

 

Tomas looked at Marcus, his dear one, always looking out for others. Gently he caressed the lined face before looking back at Adrian. "We need to dress our wounds and bind him. He's possessed."

 

"How did this happen? Marcus would never take a deal..." Adrian started.

 

"He didn't. This isn't an ordinary Demon. It's the offspring of integrated people. He was designed for Evil. A plot against the Faith. It feeds on pain and latched itself onto Marcus' past."

 

"What do you mean? Can you help him?"

 

"We can. I saw his Mind Palace. He's stuck in his worst memories, but we'll get him out and free him."

 

The three of them secured Marcus tightly onto the table with rope and leather belts. They blindfolded him and closed all the curtains. Bennett removed everything with names on it, posters and the likes, to make sure Marcus wouldn't find out where they were. The barking of the dogs in the distance could give him a clue but there were numerous dog pounds in the city so it would give them time to perform the exorcism before the right place had been figured out by Creature Marcus and before he could pass on the information to his minions by the link they shared.

 

"I'll clean your wound first," Adrian said and pointed at Bennett.

 

Tomas watched - detached - how the vet carefully cleaned father Bennett's stab wound to the side. It had luckily missed anything vital, probably due to the height of the child and the disinterest it had for human life. Bennett groaned lowly when Adrian stapled the wound together and dressed it to protect it from filth getting in.

 

"Now you." The man said and turned back to Tomas with fresh gloves. Tomas nodded and lied back down on the other operating table - where they probably performed the inspections on any stray animal they brought in. How apt - he thought to himself - they were yet another pair of stray animals seeking shelter. With that in mind, he focused on Adrian's furrowed brow and tried to ignore the searing pain when bits and pieces of the cloth of his clothes got cut away and pulled out of the wound.

 

"Where is your wife?" Tomas slurred through the pain.

 

Adrian quickly looked up at the man before continuing with cleaning the gruesome wound.

 

"She died." He muttered. "Cancer. Three years later. There was nothing we could do."

 

Tomas wanted to tell him, sorry, to say God worked in mysterious ways but his tongue was tied. How unfair could this world get? Why was God testing them like this? He was starting to doubt his purpose and why would he still fight if all get lost anyway? He turned his face away from Adrian - he didn't want to look at the man who had lost everything he held dear and was _still_ helping him. Now he could look at Marcus - who was steadily breathing not too far beside him - the two men were so similar. Both lost so much and yet so kind. He looked back at Adrian - hope fully returned in the glance at the man he loved.

 

"It's all worth it, isn't it?" He whispered.

 

Adrian nodded. "Marcus and Bennett gave me three years more with my wife. We adopted a little girl."

 

"So Hannah will always live on in the love you share."

 

The vet nodded and finished up the dressing of the wound.

 

"Thank you," Tomas said and touched the shoulder of the man. "Thank you for sacrificing so much."

 

Adrian closed his eyes. His chin pointed down and a lone tear rolled down his cheek. "You're welcome." He hoarsely replied and Tomas could see it. Could see it in his eyes that his real meaning had been heard. They were brothers in their fight against Evil. A kinsmanship shared throughout history was flowing between them even if they knew each other only for half an hour.

 

"I trust you."

 

"As I trust you, father Tomas."

 

* * *

 

"What are you going to do now?" Marcus smiled from beneath the blindfold. The others jumped up when they realised he was awake. Tomas came closer and touched his friend.

 

"Marcus?"

 

"Try again." The Creature grinned. "Marcus is not home but he can take a call."

 

"Marcus, you need to let me in," Tomas whispered close to the ex-priest's ear.

 

"So you can watch your lover suffer even more?"

 

Adrian looked startled at Tomas when he heard that but he bit his lip. Who was he to judge love in whatever form it came?

 

"Marcus, do you remember Dolores?" Bennett tried.

 

The possessed Marcus snapped his teeth at Bennett who had come closer. That was a no then.

 

"I have to take his blindfold off."

 

"Are you crazy, Tomas?"

 

Adrian nodded his agreement with the dark-skinned man. "How long will it take him to find us?"

 

"If I get in his mind, he is powerless. I can capture the Demon in the Mind Palace. I just need to get in."

 

"And how will you do that?"

 

"I have a gift."

 

"I thought it was a curse?" Marcus interjected with a lazy curl around his mouth. "Do you think I'll let you inside to try to save your friend?"

 

"You can't stop me." The priest reached for the cloth before Marcus' eyes.

 

"Tomas, no!" But it was too late and Tomas had ripped off the blindfold. Marcus blinked several times and started taking in his surroundings. Quickly Tomas held his face between his hands so he couldn't look around too much.

 

"Son of the morning, banished from grace," Tomas spoke while staring deeply into those crazed eyes.

 

Marcus tried to snatch his face away and growled lowly at the man speaking to him.

 

"Profane thing, ashes on the earth."

 

"He hates you for hurting him!" The Demon snarled but Tomas continued on without even blinking.

 

"You are relieved, outcast."

 

The Creature shrieked and tried biting Tomas' fingers.

 

"Fallen Angel, you are loved!" The younger man shouted and his eyes rolled away to only reveal the whites.

 

"Tomas?" Bennett asked and got no reply. Marcus' body stilled. The old lion and the cub's breathing synchronized and they gathered together in the Mind Palace.

 

* * *

 

_"You think I don't know what you are capable of, Warrior?" The Marcus inside the Mind Palace hissed when Tomas formed in front of him. "Your love can't save this man."_

_The priest stepped up to the ghost of his friend and put his hand on his forehead. Closing his eyes, he started praying._

_"Tomas."_

_The younger man looked up. There. There he was. A sliver of the real Marcus broke through. He was visibly struggling._

_"Marcus, fight him. Please! You can do this! Whatever he holds over you, whatever keeps you locked inside your mind, unburden, be free of guilt. I forgive you everything even when you didn't need any forgiveness."_

_Marcus trembled beneath Tomas' steady hands. "Tomas, he's..." Marcus took a deep shudder. "Nice try. He's gone." He slowly started smiling._

_"Fallen Angel, you are loved." Tomas ghosted with his lips on the feverish cheek in front of him. "You are loved." He repeated and kissed the stubble he could feel. "You are loved."_

_The Demon snarled and pushed Tomas away from him. Expelling him from his presence._

 

* * *

 

 

Tomas gasped and felt Bennett and Adrian stabilise him from the power pushing him away from Marcus' body. The Creature snarled.

 

"Oh, no. You don't." The priest said and clenched his jaw. With an ungraceful swipe of his feet, he climbed on top of his friend. Legs straddling the bony hips.

 

"Mmm, Tomas. I never thought you'd bottom." The Creature flirted and pressed his erection up against Tomas.

 

Tomas ignored him and looked at his companions.

 

"Bind me to him once I'm back in again. Our contact can't be broken."

 

They nodded and were already reaching towards more rope. Tomas didn't see nor feel what they did to him. He was already back in that place of damnation.

 

* * *

 

 

_"You are stubborn." Marcus laughed madly. "I've always liked that about you. Your temperament. Your passion." He trailed his fingers over Tomas' shoulder. The priest kept praying. His hands folded._

_Marcus kneeled and started nuzzling against Tomas' underbelly. "You know he wants this so much. He wants to suck your cock and choke on it."_

_Fingers started peeling back the younger man's zip but Tomas' hands snatched down and halted the movements. With an enraged growl, he pulled the Demon up and against his chest._

_"Marcus, I love you. Come back to me. I want to spend lazy Sunday mornings beside you in bed. Make you pancakes. I want to touch you without it having to be sexual. I need to touch you. You're still in there. You're still my Marcus. I will give you anything you desire. Just come back to me."_

_"Tomas..." Marcus croaked again. He could barely speak and kissed Tomas - nearly splitting their lips with the force of it - hoping to convey what he couldn't say into actions. "Fallen Ang..." He tried._

_"Fallen Angel, you are loved. You. Are. Loved." Tomas finished for Marcus. He felt the fingers tighten around his biceps. Felt how the Creature tried to push him away - but for some reason, he couldn't push Tomas bodily away. Bennett and Adrian must've bound them pretty close together._

_"Remember... Cas..." Marcus tried speaking despite the shivers wracking his body. He was giving Tomas a way in._

_"Remember when we got back from that festival in Texas? How I put you back in bed?"_

_Marcus shook his head. He couldn't remember. He couldn't remember._

_"And when Verity said how quickly you ate as if someone was about to steal your food. I've always noticed, but I never cared about that. I am always so glad to see you enjoy life even if it's topped with an enormous and unhealthy amount of maple syrup."_

_The priest noticed how his friend tried to smile and instead he became very pale in the face. He clutched over with a groan and Tomas held him while he threw up. Tomas didn't even want to think how that worked. What would happen with puke inside your own Mind Palace but he figured that it was some way of purging the bad._

_"You told me you believe in me and I believe in God. I believe in you too, Marcus, mi amor."_

_"No!!" Marcus roared and Tomas felt as if he got slapped right in the face. All the breath got squeezed out his chest and he started wheezing._

* * *

 

"Tomas!" Bennett shouted. Tomas couldn't breathe. Something was pressing him. Squeezing him. He blinked and looked around. Marcus was still underneath him - breathing hard - and eyes shut with a frown. They were floating. The entire table with them on top of it was floating mid-air. Lamps were flickering and a heavy wind blew around papers, made the medicine cabinets rattle and the curtains billow.

 

The table was weighing down on him and pressing him against Marcus' body. Closing off his air supply. Marcus' eyes opened.

 

"I found you." He grinned and with a loud snap his right arm tore free of its restraint.

 

"We have to go!" Adrian shouted.

 

Tomas could only stare at the possessed man. His freed hand was pulling the priest's hair so he could only stare helplessly into those eyes where there was nothing left of his friend.

 

"In the name of the Ho..." Tomas weakly tried again and heard another ripping sound. Marcus' other hand was free too and it started pulling on the ropes. Freeing them both. The wind roared in his eyes and thunder sounded in the distance. Lightning struck.

 

It illuminated the room for a blink of an eye.

 

"Marcus is dead." The Creature spoke over the noise. The loudness swelled to a breaking point. The pain Tomas felt, drowned it all out. Everything went silent in his head. He was drowning in sorrow. He had failed. There was nothing left for them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A big shout out to my self-proclaimed number one fan ;-) Aokihabara. Thank you - my sweet friend - for keeping me motivated.


	10. Until Hell Freezes Over

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I. Never giving up. Never giving in.
> 
> II. It will never happen.

 

 

Their bindings fell away and the power keeping them in the air - slowly lowered them both to the floor. Tomas couldn't move for a while. He just watched the Demon underneath him. All his plans, all his ideas, all his hopes for a future had just been evaporated in the blink of an eye.

 

"Don't mourn for your friend." The Creature spoke and pushed the priest from him so he could stand up. "He's gone now. Join me and I can reunite you. You'll never be alone again."

 

Tomas - with the speed of a century old man - went to sit up on the table. With empty eyes, he looked at the body of his friend. The Demon dusted himself off and stood tall and proud in front of him. Tomas didn't recognise Marcus. The way he was standing, the way he moved, the way he smiled... Nothing was the same.

 

"Bennett." He croaked. "Give me your knife."

 

Bennett - who had been hiding behind a cupboard - stepped forward and handed over his weapon to the priest. His eyes never leaving the smirking face of his ex-colleague. Creature-Marcus didn't interfere with them. He knew his minions were coming and he knew they were powerless against him.

 

Tomas balanced the heavy blade in his hand and jumped up from the table.

 

"Are you going to kill me now - as promised?"

 

"Bennett," Tomas said instead of replying the Demon. "Kill him _after_." He knew his voice was shaking and filled with tears but he didn't care. Let them hear he was broken.

 

Father Bennett nodded, not knowing what would happen and put his hand on Adrian's shoulder to stop the man from stepping in.

 

Tomas took a deep breath and gripped the knife steadily with two hands. The point turned towards him. He drank in - for an eternal second - the view of his lost friend and then with a snap he pulled the knife to his chest - closing his eyes - ready to die.

 

* * *

 

Tomas blinked. He felt a pressure against his chest. Was he dead? He looked down - lazily blinking - and saw a bloodied blade rest between his hands.

 

Marcus had stepped in and pushed out his hand to keep Tomas from killing himself. The blade was embedded in his hand. Pierced it actually. Confused the Demon looked at the knife sticking through his hand as if he couldn't even understand why he had done so.

 

"You... You would... Risk your eternal soul?" It croaked to him. Completely stumped.

 

"I could not bear to live in a world without Marcus," Tomas replied calmly.

 

"You know where you would go if you commit suicide."

 

"It's no less what I deserve. I failed my friend."

 

The Creature seemed to struggle for a moment. "You... You didn't fail me."

 

" _Marcus_?"

 

Adrian and Bennett took a couple of steps closer. Was there still hope? Had the Demon lied? Was Marcus still somewhere in there?

 

"I - I will fight you... Every. Step. Of the way." Marcus huffed. His eyes were closed in concentration. He wasn't speaking to them. He was talking to himself.

 

_"You're not strong enough."_

"It doesn't matter. I will never work the way you want me to work for you."

 

_"Then what use are you for me?"_

"You'll have to... Kill me." Marcus hissed and suddenly dropped to his knees. Tomas started to smell burnt flesh. His friend started to claw at the robe he was wearing. Revealing burning sores starting to appear on his skin. Not a sound of pain left the man's mouth though.

 

_"Submit."_

"Never."

 

_"I will destroy everything you hold dear."_

"With what vessel?" Marcus threatened. An enormous pressure was keeping him pushed to his knees.

 

The ex-priest got thrown into the cabinets behind him. Tomas threw out his hands - trying to catch his friend - but something pushed him away so he couldn't help. Like a ragdoll - the man got thrown around. Blood was streaming out his nose.

 

_"Submit!"_

"PISS OFF!" Marcus shouted with his cheek pressed against the cold linoleum floor. He tried biting through the pain and resist with everything left in him.

 

_"Then I'll just kill you and return even stronger in another body."_

"Be my guest." The older man groaned after hitting the wall with the back of his head. He got flung back up into the air and hit the flickering lights - sustaining another burn on his body.

 

"MARCUS!" Tomas yelled and tried to stop Marcus from being killed by the repeated banging against the walls and cabinets. Glass shards danced around in the air. Cutting them. Slicing tiny wounds into their thin skin.

 

A roar ripped through the air and Marcus' back was slammed into the ceiling. He looked down and saw his three friends try to reach him. Blood steadily kept dripping down on the floor. A force pulled him spread-eagled. His limbs near to popping. Marcus screamed in agony.

 

_"What is it with you humans - being stubborn? Give in. It's easier."_

"The ri-right way is nev-never easy." Marcus desperately tried to pull air back into his lungs. Black spots were dancing in front of his eyes. He knew he didn't have long.

 

"BE GONE!" He shouted. "BE GONE!"

 

He felt his bones grinding over each other painfully. The tendons of his muscles were slowly ripping apart. He could feel everything in his body start to tear apart.

 

"BE GONE!" He tried to yell again around a mouthful of blood and spit.

 

_"You will die and I will succeed."_

"We'll find you! We'll haunt you to the ends of the Earth!" Marcus heard his three companions pray in the far distance but he couldn't understand a word. Everything was hurting too much.

 

"BE GONE!"

 

A blackness pulled from his chest and darkened the room. It swirled around and pulled everything with it. Papers, medicine boxes, it pulled at their clothes, chairs scraped over the floor. Everything was getting sucked in.

 

"BE GOOONE!"

 

Lightning flashed in the room. Dogs were howling.

 

_"I will return."_ A loud voice hissed in the air around them. Deafening them together with the thunder and the rumbling of everything blowing in their faces. Pushing at their bodies. Pressing them down.

 

Marcus was going to die. He could feel it.

 

"Tom..." He tried speaking but a sudden silence interrupted them and broke his concentration. And then... Blinding pain.

 

* * *

 

Filled with horror - Tomas watched his friend - stuck to the ceiling - get a seizure. He shook and thrashed. Limbs spread out about to be torn off.

 

"Marcus!" Then all went silent and he heard the voice repeat it would return again. "Marcus!" He tried again to reach his friend.

 

Nothing happened for a moment and then... Marcus went slack. His body dropped from the ceiling like a dead weight and hit the operation table with a sickening crack. Tomas rushed forward.

 

"Don't touch him!" Adrian warned. "He's bleeding internally!"

 

" _Marcus_..." Tomas whispered and carefully touched his friend's neck to feel for a pulse. "He's still alive." He breathed relieved.

 

Adrian and Bennett dropped beside him to look over their friend.

 

"But not for long if we don't get him help." The vet said urgently and looked at Bennett for guidance.

 

"Do it." Bennett grimly nodded. With a jump - Adrian stood up and ran to the office next to them to call for an ambulance.

 

"Hang in there, Marcus, mi amor." Tomas breathed into his praying hands.

 

* * *

 

Tomas was shaking. He was glad the trauma unit didn't ask him any questions and just pushed him into the back of the ambulance with Marcus strapped to the stretcher. Adrian and Bennett were closely following behind them in the vet's van.

 

They pulled into the emergency entrance drive-in. A man in scrubs threw open the doors and started pulling Marcus on the stretcher out. Quickly others rushed in to help him. Tomas' hand was tight on the metal railing slowly warming underneath his skin.

 

"Sir!"

 

He ran alongside his friend being brought into the emergency room.

 

"Sir! We can't have you in here!" A nurse shouted at Tomas. He couldn't let go. He couldn't look away from Marcus' face.

 

"He's... He's...." He tried speaking. His tongue was flailing around uselessly. He didn't know what would happen to Marcus.

 

"Only family is allowed back here, Sir. We need to operate him. Quickly."

 

"I'm family. We're family." Tomas choked out. "Please, just let me..."

 

Bennett showed up. "Let him go." He said to the nurse. It's his husband."

 

The nurse's eyes widened for a moment and then she nodded and turned back to Tomas. "Sir, I understand how you feel. But you need to let go of the stretcher. We need to take your husband in for surgery. _Please_ , let us do our jobs."

 

With all his might - Tomas started peeling off his fingers from the railing. "Please... Please... Save him." Tears blinded his eyesight and the last thing he saw was a blurry picture of the man he loved being rolled behind curtains.

 

* * *

 

His eyes snapped open. A cold sterile room greeted him. Marcus looked around. Something was burning his throat and nose. He tried to move but his limbs were too weak.

 

A woman's face appeared above him. She was saying something and touching his forehead - trying to comfort him. He couldn't understand. Marcus started thrashing with his shoulders and head. The only parts he could seem to move. Rapid beeping was deafening him. Probably his heart monitor going crazy. More strange people appeared and held him down. He tried shouting. Everything was hurting.

 

_Tomas_! Finally, a face he knew. He immediately calmed down. Tomas was shushing him and stroking his face. Marcus tried to calm down. He wanted to ask his friend what was happening but medicine-induced blackness took over.

 

* * *

 

"Are you back with us again?" A voice spoke to his left. Marcus blearily blinked. His mouth tasted like there had been cotton stuffed in there for a whole week. He tried speaking but something kept him from using his lips. There was a tube in his throat and it had been taped to his face.

 

He blinked hard to the woman speaking to him. Trying to hear her. He could barely understand ten words.

 

"You must feel confused. You're in the hospital. Your husband will be here soon. He went out to get coffee. He hasn't left your side for more than five minutes since you've been here." She slowly spoke. Finally understanding he was disoriented.

 

Husband? Hospital?

 

A movement caught his eyes and there he was. He couldn't take his gaze from the breathtaking sight that strode into the room. _Tomas_. Alive and well. Looking worse for the wear with a scruffy beard and bags under his eyes the size of the Rio Grande.

 

"Mi amor." Tomas sighed happily and sat carefully on Marcus' bedside. "You've returned to me."

 

The nurse was looking sappily at the two of them.

 

Marcus tried to reach for Tomas but he couldn't move. Tears leaked from his eyes in his frustration. Tomas seemed to understand and pressed himself closer to the exhausted body on the bed. The ex-priest closed his eyes in gratitude at feeling the warmth his friend was giving off seep through the blankets. He was still alive.

 

He looked back up at Tomas. A question clear in his eyes. Tomas' mouth turned down and he worked very hard not to look away from Marcus' gaze when he slowly said what Marcus needed to know.

 

"After... We called an ambulance. You needed surgery."

 

_How bad?_ His eyes seemed to beg to know.

 

"You... Oh, Marcus... I am _so_ sorry." Tomas sobbed. "You may never walk again. It broke your spine."

 

Marcus floated detached. That's why he couldn't seem to move. Only his fingers remembered how to twitch. The realisation slowly set in and in disgust, he turned his face away. He didn't want Tomas to look at him. Broken. Useless.

 

"I promised to take you somewhere safe and peaceful after... I will keep my promise."

 

Marcus knew it was of no consequence anymore if he wanted to discuss the matter. He knew - the way Tomas spoke - that nothing would change his mind. His friend was determined not to leave him behind even when he was - literally - paralysed.

 

"Marcus... Please?" Tomas begged him. What did he ask? Not to give up? To keep loving him? To act on that love? To try living again?

 

What for? There was nothing left for him. He couldn't fight. He couldn't move. He couldn't love. He would only be a bother. A dead weight holding Tomas' promising talents back. A hand touched his and with everything he got in him - Marcus pulled his own hand away.

 

The message clear. Don't touch me. Leave me alone.

 

"Tomas..." The nurse softly spoke  - like she didn't want Marcus to hear her. "It may take a while for him to accept the truth. He will understand if you give him some time and peace will return."

 

Liar, liar, pants on fire. Nothing would ever be the same. There would never be peace in his mind nor his soul.

 

"I know. I know." Tomas cried. Marcus could only feel cold hate in that moment and lifted his chin defiantly to the priest. He tried speaking again. His throat was burning and it felt like he had swallowed sandpaper drenched in Tabasco.

 

Around the tube, he mouthed the words slowly to Tomas so he would really understand.

 

" _You... Should have... Let me die_."

 

The broken look he got in reply was reward enough for his cursed life.

 

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So... This was the angst-filled end of the second part of this series. I hope I've tortured you more than enough? Please let me know in the comments. :-D  
> I don't know when the third part will be up but feel free to bookmark and/or leave kudos if you want to motivate me to write quicker :-p It may work. It may not. I am pure evil!


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